Stir-Fried Chicken, Garlic Chives, and Pea Pods

This dish was not very good, not only were there WAY too many pea pods, the sauce seized up and the ingredients were too expensive.  The produce guy laughed at me when I asked if there were "garlic" chives, he said regular chives are garlic chives.  Also, he laughed when I told him I needed the chives with their unopened blossoms!!  I did not take the time to remove the strings from the pea pods, but I did cut the ends off.  I used some white wine rather than sherry because, being on a budget,  I didn't want to purchase more ingredients I might not use again.  I found that 1 teaspoon of sesame oil was way too much, less would have given the dish a more subtle flavor.  This dish was really spicy for my mouth. I had bad timing cooking the rice, also, and the timing was a bit off.

Stir-Fried Chicken, Garlic Chives, and Pea Pods

1/2 c. chicken broth

2 T dry sherry

1 T soy sauce

2 t. cornstarch

1 t. sesame oil

1/4 t. crushed red pepper

2 t. vegetable oil

1 lb. skinless, boneless chicken breasts, but into 1-inch pieces

2 c. 1-inch cut garlic chives and their unopened blossoms

1/4 lb. snow pea pods, ends and strings removed

1. In a 1-cup measuring cup or small bowl, combine broth, sherry, soy sauce, cornstarch, sesame oil, and red pepper flakes.  Set aside.

2. Heat wok or large skillet over high heat. Add 1 Tablespoon oil and swirl it around to coat the pan. Add half of the chicken and cook until well browned on one side, about 3 minutes. Turn chicken pieces and brown the other side, about 2 minutes. Repeat to brown the other half of the chicken with remaining oil and transfer to bowl. Reduce heat to medium.

3. In same pan, stir-fry chives for 1 minute. Add pea pods and stir-fry for 1 minute. Restir sauce and pour over vegetables. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly, until thickened. Return chicken and juices to pan, cook until heated through. Transfer to serving plate. Serve immediately.