What's for Dinner? Chicken and Pepper Stirfry

Tonight, after having spent all last week with my parents, I was feeling nostalgic and wanted to cook one of my mom's recipes from when we were growing up.  Back in the day, my mom was kind of your standard Baby Boomer Housewife cook...she made simple, quick dishes (including a lot of casseroles), but all were tasty!  This recipe was one of her more "adventurous" undertakings, as Asian food was not in her normal cooking repertoire.  I had some bell peppers (from the garden of course) that I needed to use and that made me think of this.  Ahhh, "memories...like the corners of my mind" (remember the scene with Tom Hanks in "Big", anyone?).  I hope you like it!  Enjoy!

Chicken and Pepper Stirfry
Serves 4

• 1/2 cup soy sauce (can use regular, reduced sodium or a combo of both)
• 2 TBSP cooking sherry
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 3 TBSP cornstarch
• 2 TBSP oil (olive or canola), divided
• 3 chicken breasts (about a pound), cut into bite-size pieces
• 3 bell peppers, cut in thin slices (use a combo of red and green)
• 1 onion, cut in half and thinly sliced
• 1 8 oz container sliced mushrooms
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 can sliced water chestnuts (optional)
• 1 cup water
• rice

In a small bowl, combine soy sauce through cornstarch and mix well.  Set aside.

Over high heat, saute chicken in large skillet and cook until brown and cooked through.  Reserve to bowl.  In same pan, add remaining oil and saute peppers, onions and mushrooms until soft, about 5 minutes.  Add garlic and water chestnuts, if using, and saute 1 minute more.

Add reserved chicken back to the pan and add sauce.  Stir to combine and cook about 1 minute.  Add water and let mixture simmer and thicken, about 5 more minutes.  When all is combines and sauce is thick, serve over rice.

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