An easy to prepare chicken skillet dish that gives you the option of using fresh or frozen vegetables. It's flavored with a ginger-soy sauce and can be served over brown or white rice.

Gingered Chicken with Vegetables

2 tablespoons vegetable oil - divided use
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips
1 cup red bell pepper strips**
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
16 fresh pea pods, cut in half crosswise
1/2 cup sliced water chestnuts
1/4 cup sliced green onions
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger root
1 large clove garlic, crushed
2/3 cup reduced-fat, reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons Equal® Spoonful*
2 tablespoons light soy sauce
4 teaspoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons dark sesame oil
Salt and pepper to taste (optional)
Hot cooked rice (optional)

1. Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Stir fry chicken until no longer pink. Remove chicken from skillet.
2. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in skillet. Add red peppers, mushrooms, pea pods, water chestnuts, green onion, ginger and garlic. Stir fry mixture 3 to 4 minutes until vegetables are crisp tender.
3. Meanwhile, combine chicken broth, Equal®, soy sauce, cornstarch and sesame oil until smooth. Stir into skillet mixture. Cook over medium heat until thick and clear. Stir in chicken; heat through. Season with salt and pepper to taste, if desired.
   Serve over hot cooked rice, if desired.

Makes 4 servings.

* May substitute 3 packets Equal sweetener

Variation: You may substitute 1 (16-ounce) package frozen Oriental-Style Vegetables, cooked and drained, for the fresh vegetables listed above. Stir fry chicken, ginger root and garlic in all of the vegetable oil about 10 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Combine chicken broth, Equal®, soy sauce, cornstarch and sesame oil until smooth. Stir into chicken mixture. Cook over medium heat until thick and clear. Stir in cooked vegetables until heated through. Season with salt and pepper to taste, if desired. Serve over hot cooked rice, if desired.

Nutrition Information Per Serving (1/4 of recipe): calories 263, protein 29 g, carbohydrate 11 g, fat 11 g, cholesterol 66 mg, sodium 411 mg.

Food Exchanges: 4 lean meat, 2 vegetable.

Recipe and photograph provided courtesy of Merisant Corporation ® and the NutraSweet Company, makers of Equal®.

Click for more information on the artificial sweetner Aspartame.