Lazy Man's Stir Fry - Sesame Hoisin Chicken, Shitakes and Broccoli

I heart this dish. It takes me back to exotic evenings out to dinner at our local chinese restaurant when I was little. It was on one of these special occasions that I was first introduced to Moo Shu Pork and more importantly to that sweet and rich Asian condiment called Hoisin Sauce. You could put it on an old shoe and it would taste good. It's the marijuana of condiments, in my opinion.

This recipe isn't quite as sweet as Moo Shu pork but you could always add more Hoisin over the veggies after you plate them (I do this in a swift and stealth move when no one's looking the way a dieter adds extra grated Parm over their Pasta Primavera. If no one sees you - it never happened.)

But my favorite part is that there's no stir frying at all. You make a marinade for the chicken, let it get to be friends for a few hours in the fridge, then dump it all into a greased pan to bake off. Add in the veg a little later with some liquid and you've got dinner.

Lazy Man's Stir Fry - Sesame Hoisin Chicken, Shitakes and Broccoli
* Marinade courtesy of Epicurious
* Serves 2

Ingredients:
2 bone in, skin on chicken breasts (one whole breast, split)
1/2 cup hoisin sauce
1 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger
4 garlic cloves, peeled and lightly smashed
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon asian sesame oil
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar (not seasoned)

1 bunch fresh broccoli, rinsed, dried and cut into florets (about 2 1/2 cups)
1 package sliced shitake mushrooms
1 cup low sodium chicken stock
1/2 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon hoisin

1/2 cup (or more) slivered red bell pepper
1 teaspoon sesame seeds (lightly toasted in a pan if you have the energy)

1/3 cup chopped green onions, for garnish

Instructions:
In a medium bowl, add in the hoisin, ginger, garlic, red pepper, oil, soy sauce and vinegar. Stir or whisk well and poor into a large ziploc bag. Add in the chicken, mushing around to be sure they're well coated, and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight. Remove 20 minutes before cooking to take the chill off and set aside.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 (350 if your oven runs hot.) Spray a large glass or Pyrex baking dish with nonstick spray. Add the chicken and marinade to the dish, making sure the chicken is spaced evenly apart with its own room to cook. Cover with foil and cook for 25 minutes.

Remove from the oven and add in the broccoli florets, scattering evenly around and in between the chicken. Repeat with the shitakes. In a small bowl, quickly mix the stock, soy sauce, and hoisin together until well blended. Pour over the veggies around the pan and return it to the oven (without the foil) to cook for another 20 minutes. Remove once again and scatter the bell pepper around the pan. Sprinkle the top of the chicken evenly with the sesame seeds and bake another 5-10 minutes. If the skin hasn't browned nicely yet (because of the early foil cover which was necessary to keep the sauce from burning) put your oven on broil and cook another 2 minutes until the skin begins to sizzle and crisp up and darken.

Remove, scatter the green onions over, and serve (just be sure to pluck out those garlic cloves and discard them first if have garlic haters in your family or else they'll be citing the incident for years to come in therapy.)