Maple-Chili Glazed Chicken

The need for a quick meal led me to google which led me to http://www.eatingwell.com/. My fridge is a little bare since I haven't had the chance to go shopping, so I was limited in my choices. I also didn't want to spend any time cooking up pasta or wait for something to boil and simmer forever; my stomach would accept nothing that took longer than 30mts to make. So I turned to the "under 20mts section" and happened upon Maple-Chili Glazed Pork Medallion. The picture looked tempting and the recipe simple enough; the only problem was, I was missing half the ingredients. Namely, I had no pork. I did have frozen chicken strips however, so I began substituting and ended up with something definitely palatable. I hope you like it too.

Ingredients
1 cup frozen chicken strips
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp chili powder (adjust to taste)
1/4 tsp paprika powder
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp cumin powder (optional)
1 tsp lemon juice
1-2 tsp ketchup
2 tbsp maple syrup (adjust to taste)
1/2 onion - diced small
1 tsp oil (vegetable or olive)

Preparation
1. Defrost chicken, drain any excess water and add dry ingredients. Mix well so all the chicken pieces are evenly coated.
2. Heat oil in a nonstick pan at medium. Add onion and saute till lightly brown.
3. Add chicken and saute for 2 minutes.
4. Add maple syrup, ketchup and lemon juice. Bring to a boil and stir occasionally to prevent sticking/burning. Reduce heat to medium-low and keep cooking till the sauce is reduced to a glaze. (about 5mts)

Serve over white rice. Or, like I did, heat up a tortilla till it's crisp add some cheese and top with the chicken and glaze for a Maple-Chili Glazed Chicken Pizza! :)

You can also try adding canned corn (whole kernel), green peppers, mushrooms or any other vegetable that strikes your fancy. Include in the initial stage when you are sauteing the onions.

Don't forget to scrape up the glaze from the pan - it's the best part! ;)

I was so hungry, I forgot to take a picture of the final product. I'll update with one, the next time I make it :)