Hey friends! I’m back today with another recipe from a cookbook I already own, and have been not using for years.

If you’re new here, I have a stack of cookbooks that I have rarely, or in most cases, never used. So I’m trying to remedy that in this season of life.

The recipe I chose was Devilish Sesame Chicken with Green Beans.

This recipe comes from Rachael Ray’s Big Orange Book. Originally this recipe is scaled to be made for a single serving, so I had to multiply it to feed my family of 4. (Way to not read the instructions, Renee.)

This experiment is to try new foods – raise your hand if you’re stuck in a dinner rut!, and I’ll also give my honest opinion as well as what my family thought.

The good :

The prep on this meal was so easy! I did not add the scallions into the rice because of my family’s personal preferences, but I would recommend you do if you think you’ll like it.

Using chicken breast and fresh green beans made this dish feel fresh and light, as opposed to heavy and guilt ridden. The sauce is not too heavy, but the flavor profile was good. For me, devilish sesame chicken was a big win!

The bad :

The complaint comes from my kids. When I said I was making sesame chicken, I didn’t elaborate. Therefore, they were expecting the breaded and fried variety that we all know and love. It wasn’t that they thought the meal was bad, it just wasn’t what they were expecting.

I need to work on my communication skills and let them know ahead of time what’s actually going to be happening for dinner.

I chose to make some crab rangoon to serve alongside, as I know those are always a big hit. Cream cheese, garlic powder, a couple crab sticks, a shake of soy sauce, a little powdered sugar to taste and some scallions make a delicious filling.

I add a small teaspoon full to a wonton wrapper and shallow fry in a skillet. They really elevate a weeknight meal.

That’s what we had for dinner!

Let me know in the comments what you’re eating.

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