Garlic, sherry and hoisin sauce flavor chicken in this quick Chinese stir-fry. The cooking time for the chicken recipe is only 5 minutes. The secret to this quick-cooked dish is cutting the chicken and cucumbers into 1/2-inch pieces. The cucumber gives the dish an intriguing texture and flavor.

Hoisin sauce is a mixture of soybeans, garlic, chile peppers and spices. It can be found in the Asian section of the supermarket. A small amount of dry sherry is called for. You can buy small bottles or splits of sherry at most liquor stores.

Microwaveable brown rice completes this quick meal, which contains 612 calories per serving with 28 percent of calories from fat.

Wine suggestion: This Asian chicken dish would go well with a slightly off-dry Riesling.

Helpful hints

Low-sodium soy sauce can be substituted for hoisin.

Minced garlic can be found in the produce section; six crushed garlic cloves can be substituted.

For easy stir-frying, place the prepared ingredients on a cutting board or plate in order of use. You won't have to look at the recipe once you start to cook.

Make sure your wok is very hot before adding the ingredients.

A quick way to slice scallions is to snip them with a scissors.

Countdown

Marinate chicken.

While chicken marinates, prepare the other ingredients.

Make rice.

Stir-fry chicken.

Shopping list

To buy: 1 small bottle hoisin sauce, 1 small bottle dry sherry, 3/4 pound chicken tenders, 1 package ground ginger, 1 medium cucumber, 1 small bunch scallions, 1 bottle sesame oil, 1 package microwaveable brown rice.

Staples: Minced garlic, sugar, cornstarch, salt, black peppercorns.