This is a dinner I make without a real recipe. Right after I graduated from college, I started watching 30 Minute Meals. It was 2001 and no one really knew who this Rachael Ray woman was but I loyally watched after work. This was when my cooking skills were still pretty novice and unless Jenn (who was my roommate at the time) and I were eating together, I was mostly making simple things for just me.
I remember seeing Rachael make Apricot Chicken and I started trying to make it myself. I never followed a recipe, I just did what I remembered her doing. I haven’t made this in at least two years so tonight’s version is probably very far from the original (like cooking whisper down the lane) but it still tastes delicious.
Ingredients:
- half an onion chopped
- one pound of chicken cut into one inch(ish) pieces
- some chicken broth (maybe 3/4 of a cup?)
- half a small jar of apricot preserves
- teaspoon of cornstarch
I heated some olive oil in a pan over medium high heat and added the onion. When it was soft, I added the chicken and cooked it until I couldn’t see any more pink. I deglazed the pan with the chicken broth. After it came to a boil, I lowered the heat to medium low and stirred in the apricot preserves and let it simmer for about five minutes. I added some cornstarch to thicken up the sauce and let it simmer on low until the sides were ready.
The stir fried green beans were a little more done than I like but also simple. I just heat some olive oil in a pan, add the beans, cook to my liking (or more tonight), then I toss them with some teriyaki sauce and cook a minute or so longer. At the end I stir in some crushed red pepper and sesame seeds.
The sweet apricot chicken and the salty slightly hot green beans go great together. For a weeknight meal, it’s relatively simple and quick. I don’t know why I haven’t made this in years.
