Orange Chicken with Cauliflower Rice
It’s a new year which means new intentions for cleaner eating and living a more fit and healthy life! Time to head back (or start a new program) at the gym and purge all the fatty holiday treats out of your fridges and pantries and replace with more whole foods and healthy ingredients. It’s also time to say goodbye to take-out foods that are often purchased because we are so busy over the holidays.
But does eating clean or healthy have to mean a life of boring steamed vegetables and baked chicken and fish? No! You can have all the flavour and goodness of a take-out meal in half the time it takes to order it and wait for it to arrive. You can control the flavours, the portion sizes and still have an amazing meal. I’ve used cauliflower “rice” in this recipe, but you could easily swap that out for regular rice. I was surprised at how good the cauliflower rice turned out, and would recommend trying it at least once!
If you prep everything ahead of time, this meal comes together in under 10 minutes! Give it try and feel good about keeping your new year intentions.
Ingredients:
Orange Sauce
¾ cup orange juice
Zest of one orange
1 tbsp coconut aminos or light soy sauce
Chicken
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
2 tbsp corn starch
1 tsp each Salt & pepper
1/2 tsp chilli flakes (more if you like it spicy)
2 tbsp coconut oil
1 tbsp grated ginger
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
3 green onion, sliced
Sesame seeds
Cauliflower Rice
1 head cauliflower, either grated on a box grater, or pulsed in the food processor
1 tbsp coconut oil
Salt to taste
If you’re prepared, this comes together so quick! In a plastic bag, combine the corn starch and seasonings. Add the chicken cubes and toss to coat.
In a large frying pan, melt the coconut oil over medium high heat. Add the ginger and garlic and saute until fragrant. Slowly add the coated chicken cubes and drop the heat to medium, cook all sides until golden. While that is happening, prepare the sauce mixture and add to the pan and stir to coat the browned chicken all over. While the sauce is thickening, prepare another frying pan with oil and cook the cauliflower rice, no more than five minutes.
Once the sauce has started to thicken, you will notice that it will deepen in colour and you can add the orange segments.
Check to make sure the chicken has been cooked all the way through, but dinner is ready at this point! Garnish with a sprinkle of green onions and sesame seeds.
Shannon Yacyshyn’s Kitchen Confessions column runs every second Thursday in the Red Deer Advocate.