Spur of the Moment Orange Chicken with Veggie Quinoa

This may be pretty dorky, but- don't you just LOVE when you can throw a bunch of random stuff together... that you've got hanging around the kitchen.... and make it in to a really really good meal?  Well, we are dorks because we certainly do, enjoy it- literally! 

Obviously you won't make this recipe having the exact same happenstance of ingredients on hand... unless you made fish tacos Sunday, Quinoa Cakes Saturday, and are planning to make Wild Rice with Pistachio and Oranges ( coming soon!).    The inspiration, other then what we had to use, came from a craving for Chinese Orange Chicken- but no desire for the unhappy belly afterwards.

We had a good 2.5 cups of cooked quinoa ready to go ( rather then rice- perfect!), lots of oranges to spare ( mmm juicy orange and zest), cilantro/ red cabbage/ corn/ red onion and some thawed chicken breasts just ready to either waste away sadly or be magically transformed into this super high protein, ingredient efficient, tasty AND healthy spin on a Chinese meal.  We even had leftovers to take for lunch today- yep, we are cool!  Without further adue- here's how we made this:

Ingredients::

4- 4 ounce chicken breasts, trimmed and sliced into 1" strips

Sauce+ Marinade Chicken

Juice and Zest from 2 oranges

scant* 1/4 cup Teryaki Sauce

1 small dash Toasted Sesame Oil

1 large dash Fish Sauce

1 teaspoon red pepper chili sauce

1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder 

Quinoa

1 teaspoon Olive Oil

1/2 red onion, finely diced

1/2 cup corn

1/2 cup shredded purple cabbage

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped, plus more for garnish

1/2 cup white wine

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup reserved sauce/ marinade

1/2 orange, juiced

1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

2.5 cups cooked quinoa

salt and pepper to taste

Method::

In a medium bowl, whisk together all marinade ingredients, reserve about 1/4 cup, set aside. Season chicken lightly with salt and pepper and garlic powder, then place the chicken strips in to the bowl of marinade and let sit for 10-15 minutes. Meanwhile:


In a 10-12" pan, heat oil over medium heat till hot.  Add onion, cook for 3-4 minutes till translucent and fragrant.  Add in the corn, cabbage, cilantro, tomatoes and stir to combine, 2 minutes.  Add in 1/2 cup wine and reduce by half.  Add in the quinoa, toss well, adding in marinade, orange juices and water to coat the mixture.  If it's too dry, add more water.  Heat through, about 3 minutes longer.  Taste and adjust seasonings with salt and pepper.

To cook the chicken, heat another 8-10" pan over medium high heat with a small dash of oil.  When the pan is hot, add in all the marinade and chicken from your bowl.  Cook tossing often for about 7-8 minutes, till juices run clear and chicken is cooked through completely.  Serve on a bed of Quinoa and top with extra cilantro.

Left overs salad and homemade ranch dressing with croutons

To be quite honest, it's been very hot and our electric bill is insane.  So, we've been eating salads- much to Jason's chagrin.  So to make it filling and hearty we tossed in what we had in the fridge with some springy boston lettuce chopped.  Our list of stuff included roasted chicken, avocado, green onion, cherry tomatoes, homemade croutons (recipe here), and a light version of homemade ranch dressing- recipe follows!

Ranch Dressing

adapted from Ellie Krieger

Serves 6

Ingredients
1/3 cup nonfat Greek style yogurt
1/3 cup lowfat buttermilk
3 tablespoons light mayonnaise
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon onion, minced
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt

Directions
In a medium bowl, combine the strained or Greek-style yogurt and the rest of the ingredients. Add salt, to taste.  Whisk until smooth and delicious

Spiced Chicken with Black-Eyed Peas and Rice

This is another classic 'use everything you've got in your pantry/freezer/fridge' recipe.  We had some chicken breasts in the freezer along with a bag of frozen black eyed peas, plus lots of brown rice in the panrty... this made a great start to a spicy "jerk" chicken inspired meal.  It's got a nice kick, tons of flavors and fresh notes from the bright green garnishes... plus it is a very hearty meal in a bowl deal- which means it works great as a leftover packed lunch!  If you don't have Old Bay ( like most people in the midwest that aren't lucky enough to get fresh crab straight from the ocean...) you can make your own version.  We threw a bunch of suggested spices together based on what was on hand in the pantry- below is the estimated concoction of spices, add or remove the different hot ones to suite your taste buds. 

Ingredients (Makes 4 servings)

1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon homemade Old Bay seasoning
( 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes, dash cayenne, dash ground clove, dash nutmeg, 1/8 teaspoon garlic, 1/8 teaspoon thyme, 1/8 teaspoon oregano, 1/4 teaspoon dried mustard, 1/4 teaspoon celery seed, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper)
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
16 ounces skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 cup chopped red onion
2 cloves minced garlic
1 1/2 cups cooked brown rice
1 teaspoon hot sauce
16 ounces black-eyed peas
1/2 cup sliced green onions
1/2 cup chopped cilantro


Directions

Preheat oven to 350º.

Heat 2 teaspoons of oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Combine paprika, seasoning, sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt; rub all over chicken. Add chicken to pan; cook 2 minutes on each side, then place pan in oven. Bake at 350º for 6 minutes or until chicken is done. Cover and keep warm.

Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; sauté 3 minutes. Stir in rice, 1/4 teaspoon salt, hot sauce, and black-eyed peas; cook 3 minutes or until thoroughly heated, stirring frequently. Spoon about 3/4 cup rice mixture into each of 4 bowls; top each serving with 1 chicken breast half. Sprinkle each serving with 1 tablespoon green onions and cilantro.

Asian Vegetable and Chicken Noodle Bowl

Want a take out style meal that you can make at home in under 30 minutes?  Well look no further!  Sesame whole wheat rice noodles topped with ginger laden chicken and fresh veggies will fill you up and satisfy any take out craving. 

Ingredients

(adapted from So Easy, Ellie Kreiger)
8 oz. soba noodles or whole wheat udon noodles
2 tsp canola oil
1 bunch scallions, sliced
1 Tbsp minced, peeled, fresh ginger
10 ounces skinless, boneless chicken breast, thinly sliced
1-15 oz can no salt added baby corn, drained and rinsed
1/2 lb broccoli florets (3 cups)
1/2 pound fresh baby bella mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
1/3 c low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 c low-sodium soy sauce
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon sesame seeds

 Directions

1. Cook noodles according to package directions.

2. Heat the canola oil in a wok over medium heat. Add the scallions and ginger and cook, stirring until fragrant, but not brown, about 30 seconds. Add the chicken a little salt and pepper ( garlic powder too if you like!) and cook, stirring occasionally, until just cooked through, 4-5 minutes. Add the baby corn, broccoli, mushrooms, peppers, broth, and soy sauce. Cook, stirring occasionally, 5-6 minutes. Add the noodles and sesame oil. Toss to combine.

Chicken with Mango BBQ Sauce and Asparagus

Nothing is better, or easier, than a quick chicken recipe on a Tuesday night.  We picked this out on the weekend and planned ahead Monday night to start it, which is key for this recipe to be "quick" when you are hungry.  Make the sauce/ marinade tonight, seal it up with your chicken, and toss in the fridge to cook tomorrow.  We paired this with some fresh roasted asparagus (which cooked in the oven while we used the lower broiler for the chicken) and some fresh bread to round off the meal.  The sauce has a nice smokey aroma, but the flavor is a great balance of sweet, savory and tangy all at once, plus our idea to marinate it over night lended itself to very tender moist chicken.  It wasn't spicy which is deceiving with all the peppers in there.  Cooking it in the broiler on foil meant easy clean up and super fast cooking time.  This recipe serves 8, but we froze half the sauce and placed it in the freezer for next time, using 2 large chicken breasts split or butterflied in half again to make (4) 4 ounce chicken breasts.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, diced (about 1 cup)

1 red pepper, diced (about 1 cup)

3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped

1 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

1/3 cup red wine vinegar

3 tablespoons molasses

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons lime juice

1/4 cup low-sodium tomato sauce

1 mango, diced (about 1 1/2 cups)

2 to 3 jalapenos, minced

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded to 1/2"thickness

Directions

Heat the oil in a medium-sized skillet over medium-high. Add the onions and cook until translucent, about 2 minutes. Add the red peppers, garlic, salt and pepper, and allspice and cook for 2 minutes more. Stir in the vinegar, molasses, Worcestershire sauce, lime juice and tomato sauce and cook for 1 minute more. Transfer the mixture into a bender and add the mango and jalapeno. Blend until smooth.

Put 1 cup of the barbecue sauce into a sealable plastic bag with the chicken and marinate over night or for at least 1 hour.

Preheat the broiler. Put the chicken on a broiler pan and discard the marinade. Broil the chicken on high for about 12 minutes, turning once. Let the meat rest for 10 minutes before slicing. Spoon about 1/2 cup of barbecue sauce over the meat slices and serve.

BBQ Pulled Chicken and Easy Slaw

This was really quick and simple to throw together, and a tasty healthy meal. Perfect for a summer Sunday like we just had! Using a rotisserie chicken is a great way to make cooking faster, clean up easier and you can find one for around $6- can't beat that! This sauce is sweet and savory, not thick and overpowering- we promise you won't miss the fatty pork at all, dig in!

BBQ Pulled Chicken

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 large onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

16 ounces low-sodium tomato sauce

1/2 cup water

1/3 cup apple cider vinegar

5 tablespoons molasses

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke

1 whole rotisserie chicken, skin removed, meat shredded into thin strips (about 4 to 4 1/2 cups)

6 whole-wheat hamburger rolls

6 large romaine lettuce leaves

Directions:

Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over a medium heat. Add the onions and cook until they are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Add tomato sauce, water, vinegar, molasses, pepper and liquid smoke and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 15 minutes. Add chopped chicken, return to a simmer, and cook an additional 10 minutes.

Split rolls. Place a leaf of lettuce on each roll, then pile on 3/4 cup of the chicken mixture onto the roll.

Easy Classic Coleslaw

Ingredients:

1/2 cup nonfat Greek-style yogurt

1/4 cup light mayonnaise
1/4 cup white wine vinegar

1 tablespoon honey

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper, plus more to taste

1 (12-ounce) bag broccoli slaw mix

Directions:

In a large bowl whisk together the Greek or stained yogurt, mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper. Add coleslaw mix and toss to coat.

Chicken, Chipotle and Avocado Soup

As the warm summer air slowly fades away, cool shorter days begin their take over. This recipe is for those of us stuck between mourning summer's end, and anticipating the crisp fall colors. The fresh ingredients in this simple soup will keep you locked in to the summer, while the richness and wamth of homemade broth ease you into the cool fall nights. Since the ingredients and this recipe are so simple, the broth takes center stage. Making your own broth is the only way to ensure it can stand up for this task. We reserve our chicken carcass from recipes such as our "Whole Roasted Chicken Tacos", and store it in an airtight bag in our freezer.


BROTH
Ingredients:
1 chicken carcass
10 cups water
1 cup carrots, chopped
1 cup celery, chopped (see note*)
1 cup onions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon thyme leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper
1 bay leaf

Combine all ingredients in a large heavy bottom pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer, place lid on the pot, and set your timer for 90 minutes. Strain the contents through a mesh sieve into a large bowl, reserve the carcass, toss the veggies and any skin. When the carcass cools, you can pick off the bits of chicken to use in the soup, usually about 1 cup.
* NOTE: For the veggies, you don't need to carefully chop up each piece in uniform shape or size, these are only used for flavor in the broth and are dicarded. For the celery, we like to use the discarded top and core that aren't what you would want to snack on with your peanut butter.

Chicken, Chipotle and Avocado Soup
Ingredients:
6 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 chipotle chili pepper in Adobo sauce, seeded and sliced thinly (see note**)
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups cooked chicken, diced
1 teaspoon Paprika
1/2 teaspoon each Salt/ Pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 avocados, pitted and diced
3 green onions, chopped
1 cup cilantro, chopped
2 limes

Bring the broth, chipotle chili, and garlic to a boil in a large pot. Meanwhile, you will need to cook up 1-2 chicken breasts to add in on top of the reserved chicken from the carcass. We seasoned ours with 1/2 the Olive Oil, Paprika, Garlic, Salt and Pepper. Pour the other 1/2 of the olive oil in a medium pan over medium/ high heat, cook the chicken for 4-5 minutes per side, until cooked through. Set aside under foil for 5 minutes before chopping it up. In four bowls, divide the avocado, green onions, chicken, and cilantro. Ladle the broth mixture over each bowl, and squeeze some lime juice over the top. Serve with tortilla chips and sour cream if desired.
** NOTE: Chipotle Chilis in Adobo come in a small can at the store with about 10 chilis, we divide them in to separate zipper baggies and keep them in our freezer to use whenever a recipe calls for it. Usually a recipe will only call for 1-2 chilis, as they are very potent in flavor (and heat if you leave those seeds in!).

Whole Roasted Chicken Tacos with Avocado Corn and Cucumber Salsa

Ingredients:

Chicken

3 pound whole chicken- gizzards removed

3 limes- 2 loose chopped; 1 juiced

1/4 red onion- loose chopped

1/4 cup cilantro- loose chopped

1 tablespoon Canola Oil

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

Coriander

Garlic powder

Chili powder

Cumin

Directions:

Place the chicken in a 9x9 dish, season the interior with salt and pepper then stuff with chopped limes and onion and cilantro. Rub in the Canola oil on the outside ok the chicken, then season well with the remaining ingredients. Using twine, tie the two legs of the bird together to close off the stuffing from falling out. Cook on a hot grill over indirect heat for 1 hour, or unill the temp reads 165 degrees. Allow the bird to rest in foil for 10 minutes before shredding the meat for the tacos!

Avacado Corn and Cucumber Salsa

Ingredients:

2 avocados- diced

2 limes- juiced

1/2 red onion, chopped

1 small cucumber, seeded and diced

3 jalapeno peppers, seeded and diced

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 ears of corn, cooked and removed from cob

Directions:

Toss everything together in a medium bowl. Serve with chicken.

You'll also need taco toppings:

We used,

Corn Tortillas

Shredded Red Cabbage

Greek Nonfat plain yogurt

More chopped cilantro

Fresh lime juice

For the tacos, char fresh corn tortillas over an open flame ( on your stove or grill), then load up some shredded chicken, fresh avocado salsa, shredded red cabbage and fresh chopped cilantro. You can also top that with plain non-fat Greek yogurt and more fresh squeezed lime juice. Fold in over and enjoy!!!!!!!

Vegetable and Chicken Stir Fry

Stir fry is an easy and healthy dinner for any night of the week. After long days of working, hitting the gym, and all the other daily responsibilities, there is always time to throw together some veggies with some Ginger and Soy Sauce over a bed of warm rice and call it a meal.


Ingredients:

1 cup brown rice, cooked= 4 cups
1 pound chicken breast tenders, sliced in to thin strips
1 TBSP Canola oil
1 TSP Sesame oil
3 TBSP low sodium Soy Sauce
1/2 TSP salt
1/2 TSP pepper
1 TBSP fresh Ginger ( about 1.5"), trimmed and chopped fine
3 cloves of garlic, chopped fine
2 cups steamed broccoli
1.5 cups steamed sugar snap peas
1/2 cup red onion, sliced
3/4 cup red Bell Pepper, sliced
1.5 cups water
1 TBSP corn starch

Directions:

In a wok or large frying pan, heat up the Canola oil over medium/ high heat. Season the chicken with a little salt and pepper, then toss into the pan with a teaspoon each of the chopped garlic and ginger, the Sesame oil, and 1 TBSP of the Soy Sauce. Cook for 5 minutes until there is no pink color left on the chicken. Then add in the rest of the ingredients (save the rice, corn starch and water) toss together for 3 minutes, then add in the corn starch and water. Stir to thicken the sauce, 2-3 more minutes. taste for seasonings, adjust with salt and pepper or Soy. Divide the mixture on to four plates over 1 cup of the brown rice. Enjoy

(photos coming)

Chicken Tonight

CHICKEN

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 teaspoon EVOO, to coat

1 teaspoon basil

1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Marinate the breasts with the above items, set aside

Heat a non stick pan over high heat (large enough for both breasts) for 2 minutes, spray with a little Pam, then place both breasts in the pan to sear, turn the flame to medium, cook about 7 minutes per side. Check for doneness, tent with foil to rest- 5 minutes before serving

ZUCCHINI:

1 large zucchini cut in to 3/4" chunks

1 teaspoon EVOO, to coat

1/2 teaspoon basil

1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Preheat over to 400 degrees

Toss the zuccs with the above items in a bowl and spread on to a baking sheet in a single layer.

Place on the middle rack in your oven for 7-10 minutes until they are slightly browned.

Mashed Potatoes:

4 medium Russet potatoes, peeled and chopped in to 1/2" cubes

2 tablespoons butter, cubed

1/2 teaspoon chives, chopped

1/2 teaspoon garlic, chopped

1 teaspoon salt, to taste

1/2 teaspoon pepper, to taste

1/4 cup warm milk

Cover the potatoes with water in a pot, bring to a boil, and continue to cook for another 20-25 minutes until they are fork tender. Drain them, and place back in the cooking pot. Turn the flame on your burner and heat the drained potatoes to get rid of excess water, this makes the potatoes fluffy. Add the butter, chives, garlic, salt/ pepper and mash with a fork or masher until smooth. Slowly add in the milk to desired whippy-ness, taste and adjust your seasonings. Serve with a small pat of butter on top for added indulgence!

Garlic Bread:

1" thick slices of Italian bread

spread with butter, thin layer

sprinkle with garlic powder

top with freshly grated parmesan cheese

toast in the oven about 5 minutes at 400 degrees

Serve warm!