20 Minute Orange Chicken

Here's a healthier version of one of your favorite take out meals. Seriously, this was so good and minus all the fatty breading when you order dishes like this from a chinese restaurant.

It was family and kid approved AND it's healthy AND it only took about 20 minutes. SCORE!

Now, caution...it did use a lot of dishes and made quite a mess. Maybe the second time, when I know what I'm doing, it will go a bit smoother.

Ingredients: 

2-3 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast (cubed)

2 tbsp coconut oil

3/4 cup orange juice

2 tbsp garlic powder

2 tbsp ginger powder

2 tbsp sugar (I used organic, raw sugar) - you could probably use stevia or honey if you're on a no sugar diet

1 tbsp tamari sauce (low sodium)

1 tbsp rice vinegar

2 tsp fish sauce

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (if you don't like spicy at all, you could reduce this or leave it out)

1 tsp cornstarch

1 tbsp cold water

2 tsp sesame seeds

2-3 cups broccoli

1 cup (uncooked) brown rice (I used brown basmati rice)

Directions:

Cook rice according to package.

While rice is cooking, heat skillet to medium high heat and melt coconut oil. Once skillet is hot, place cubed chicken and cook until browned and cooked through (about 8-10 minutes).

While chicken is cooking, start broccoli. You can make this any way you wish. I like to put about 1/3 cup of water in a skillet, place broccoli in skillet and cover. Steam broccoli on stove top about 5-8 minutes. 

Also, while chicken is cooking, combine orange juice, fish sauce, tamari sauce, rice vinegar, red pepper flakes, sugar, garlic and ginger. Mix.

Remove chicken from pan and put pan back on burner. Add orange juice mixture to pan and bring to slight boil. 

Combine cornstarch and cold water until cornstarch fully dissolved. Once orange juice mixture has come to boil, add cornstarch mixture and combine until desired thickness is achieved. Should be slightly thickened. Keep you eye on it, the sauce could burn quickly.

Add sesame seeds than add chicken back to pan and mix with sauce. 

Add broccoli to pan and mix with the chicken. 

Serve on rice.

This doesn't really fit into the portion fix meal plan because of the sugar and the orange juice...but if you're following it loosely, one serving would be 1 red, 1 green, 1 yellow, 1 spoon and 1 orange. I'd add a second yellow for the sugar.