Broccoli-Chicken Bowl

For some reason, I was intrigued by this recipe when I saw it in Family Circle magazine (February 2010). We both thought it turned out decent. If I were to make it again, I would add in some sliced carrots and possibly onion to up the veggies a little. My husband commented that he would have preferred the chicken be browned- so I would probably drain the chicken after marinating in order to achieve that next time. I also had to adjust the cooking time for both the broccoli and chicken as the recipe did not seem long enough to cook them to my liking. With a few tweaks, I think this is a good and quick meal.

1 1/2 cups long grain rice
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
3 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp sugar
1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
Salt and pepper
3/4 pounds skinless, boneless chicken, thinly sliced
3 tbsp olive oil
1 bunch broccoli- broken into florets and stalks trimmed
2 scallions, white and green portions thinly sliced separately

1. In a medium saucepan, bring the rice and 3 cups water to a boil; lower the heat and simmer, covered, until the water is absorbed, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes.
2. In a medium bowl whisk together half of the garlic, the soy sauce, sugar and 1/2 tbsp cornstarch; season with salt and pepper. Add the chicken and toss; let stand for 20 minutes. In a small bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup water and the remaining 1 tbsp cornstarch.
3. In a large non stick skillet, heat 1 tbsp olive oil and the remaining garlic over medium high heat. Add the broccoli stalks, season with salt and pepper and cook for 1 minute. Add 1/4 cup water and the broccoli florets, cover and steam until crisp tender; 3 to 4 minutes; transfer the broccoli to a plate.
4. Add the remaining 2 tbsp olive oil to the skillet and heat until hot. Add the chicken mixture and scallion whites and cook, stirring, until the chicken is just cooked through, about 2 minutes. Stir in the broccoli; then stir in the remaining cornstarch mixture. Cook until the liquid thickens, about 30 seconds. Remove from heat and stir in the scallions greens. Serve with the rice.