Orange Chicken
Serves 4
This Chinese-American dish is a “food court Chinese” staple in North America. Battered, fried and tossed with mysterious sauce, too often it’s a nutritional train wreck. Suffice to say, you’ll enjoy this dish with its bright orange flavour and cashew buttery crunch. If desired, you can replace the chicken with turkey or tofu.
3/4 cup (180 ml) no-salt-added chicken stock
3/4 cup (180 ml) orange juice
Zest of 1 orange
2 Tbsp (40 ml) rice vinegar
1 1/2 Tbsp (30 ml) low-salt soy sauce
1/4 cup (60 ml) raw cane sugar
3 tsp (15 ml) grated ginger
1/8 tsp (0.5 ml) cayenne powder
1 lb (450 g) cubed, skinless, boneless chicken breast
3 tsp (15 ml) + 2 tsp (10 ml) cooking oil
garlic cloves, minced
red capsicum, thinly sliced
3 tsp (15 ml) cornflour
spring onions, sliced, green and white parts
1/2 cup (125 ml) unsalted raw cashews
Orange slices for garnish
4 cups (1 L) cooked brown rice
- In large container, whisk together stock, orange juice, orange zest, rice vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, ginger and cayenne until sugar is fully dissolved. Remove 1 cup (250 ml) of mixture and place in separate container. Place chicken in large container and marinate in refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
- Heat wok or large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add 3 tsp (15 ml) cooking oil, swirl and add marinated chicken. Cook for 4 minutes; remove chicken from wok; set aside.
- Clean wok or pan and return to medium-high heat. Add 2 tsp (10 ml) oil, swirl and add garlic and capsicum; cook 1 minute. Stir cornflour into reserved orange sauce and add to wok or pan along with spring onions, cashews and chicken; cook until sauce has thickened, about 2 minutes.
- Serve with orange slices and brown rice.
Each serving contains: 2403 kilojoules; 35 g protein; 17 g total fat (3 g sat. fat, 0 g trans fat); 70 g carbohydrates (16 g sugars, 5 g fibre); 394 mg salt
source: "Healthy Chinese Food", alive Australia #15, Autumn 2013
Orange Chicken
Directions
Matthew Kadey, MSc, RD
Matthew Kadey is a dietitian, nutrition writer, and recipe developer. He is also the author of Rocket Fuel (VeloPress, 2016) and Muffin Tin Chef (Ulysses Press, 2012).
READ THIS NEXT
SEE MORE »
Sweet and Sour Brussels Sprout Tempeh Stir-Fry
This Asian-inspired stir-fry takes full advantage of the crunch Brussels sprouts achieve when they’re heated quickly. The sweet-and-sour sauce delivers a tangy edge, and tempeh offers plant-based protein and a blast of umami. If you want meat in the dish, you can replace tempeh with ground pork. Ready, set, go Stir-frying is a cooking method that thrives on speed. That means you want to have all of your ingredients prepped and ready to go into the pan. That also means no chopping on the fly.
Rutabaga Chard Cakes with Smokey Cashew Cream
Two fall stalwarts—rutabaga and Swiss chard—team up to bring seasonal flavour to these baked savoury cakes. A topping of velvety cashew cream adds a little extra spark. Rutabaga burgers, anyone? You can also prepare these cakes burger-style in a skillet. Simply form rutabaga and chard mixture into burger-sized patties and cook in greased skillet over medium-high, until golden brown on both sides.
Sweet Potato Breakfast Bowl with Maple Fall Fruit
If you’re feeling a bit burnt out when it comes to your typical morning repast, consider pivoting to this bowl of nutrition and quintessential fall flavours. It might just be the cozy sweater of the breakfast world. If you need extra energy to power your day, you can scatter on some crunchy granola. The sweet potato mixture can be made a day or two in advance and reheated in the microwave before serving. Pick of the crops For sautéing purposes, you want to use pears that keep their shape when heated. Bosc and Anjou are two good options. Fuji, Cortland, Honeycrisp, and Empire are excellent apple choices for heating in the skillet, as they won’t turn too mushy.
Lentil and Shiitake Mushroom Potato Bake
A plant-based spinoff of shepherd’s pie makes an ideal use for those surplus starches. Flavour-rich shiitake mushrooms and saucy lentils meet creamy potatoes in a protein-filled and satisfying comfort meal packed with nutrition and perfect for any cool-weather dinner. Mash it up Do you have other kinds of leftover mash on hand? Any mash befits the top of this comfort food. Try substituting potatoes with mashed sweet potatoes or yams. For lower carb options, try celeriac or cauliflower mash!