Spicy Orange Chicken

The whole family really loves this dish! It's a great alternative to take out orange chicken and WAY better for you!! Serve it up with some broccoli or other veggie to round out the meal.

juice of 1 orange (about 1/3 cup)
zest of one orange
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp honey
1/2 tbsp splenda
1 tsp ginger, grated
3-4 cloves garlic, grated
1/2 tsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (more or less to taste)
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into bit sized pieces
salt and pepper to taste
1 (11 ounce) can mandarin oranges, drained
4 servings brown rice, cooked according to package directions

Combine orange juice, orange zest, soy sauce, honey, splenda, ginger, garlic, cornstarch, and red pepper flakes in a bowl and set aside. Heat oil in skillet over medium heat. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper to taste and cook until lightly browned. Pour juice mixture over chicken and add oranges. Stir until sauce thickens, about 1-2 minutes. Serve over rice.

**I think this recipe has the perfect amount of kick to it. However, my daughter is a wimp when it comes to heat. If you have a child like mine, or maybe you or someone else you're feeding doesn't like the heat, make the recipe according to the directions, leaving out the flakes. You can dish up their serving and then mix in the flakes or sprinkle them on your own plate later if you wish!**

Makes 4 servings.

Calories 330
Fat 5.6g
Sodium 223mg
Carbs 39.5g
Fiber 2g
Protein 28.6g

Easy Homemade Vegetable Stir Fry

I used to buy the bags of prepackaged stir fry veggies and the bottled stir fry sauce. It never turned out great. This is just about as simple and SO much yummier!! I made this with the veggies I had on hand, but you can work around what you have in your house or what you like. Try it with peas, green beans, zucchini, water chestnuts, or cabbage!

1 tbsp sesame oil
1 carrot, peeled and sliced thin
1 onion, peeled, quartered, and sliced
2 cups broccoli florets (fresh or frozen)
1 large stalk celery, sliced
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
1 cup stir fry sauce
4 servings brown rice, cooked according to package directions (I always use instant!!)

Heat oil in a wok over medium0high heat. Toss in all veggies and stir fry for about 2-3 minutes. Add stir fry sauce and continue to stir fry until sauce thickens. Serve over rice.

Makes 4 servings (about 1 cup vegetables, 2/3 cup rice).

Calories 318
Fat 6g
Sodium 609.5mg
Carbs 59g
Fiber 4.6g
Protein 7.5g

Stir Fry Sauce

(I know this doesn't look super appetizing, but it's so yummy on stir fry!! And this is actually half the recipe. I forgot to take the picture before I used half for dinner.)

Believe it or not, even with that nutritional information, this stuff is WAY more healthy than the store bought stuff. And tastier too!

1/4 cup cornstarch
1/8 cup unpacked brown sugar
1/2 tbsp ginger root, grated
1 clove garlic, grated
dash cayenne pepper
1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/8 cup cider vinegar
1 cup low sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup water

Whisk all ingredients together. Can be refrigerated for up to two weeks.

Makes 2 (about 1 cup) servings.

**I know the sodium seems like it could kill a person, but 1 cup of this stuff is actually enough to flavor 4 servings of stir fry, so you're really only consuming about 571 mg, which is still a lot, but not over 2000!**

Calories 121.7
Fat 0.3g
Sodium 2,282.8mg
Carbs 27.8g
Fiber 0.4g
Protein 2.6g

Vegetable Cream Curry

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 large red bell pepper, chopped
1 medium carrot, peeled and sliced
1 large stalk celery, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (1/2 inch) piece ginger root, peeled and grated
2 tbsp curry powder (more or less to increase or decrease spiciness)
1 tbsp garam masala (more or less to increase or decrease spiciness)
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp paprika
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp white sugar
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy cream
4 servings of brown rice, cooked according to package directions (I always use instant; it's easy!)

Heat oil in skillet over medium heat. Saute onion, pepper, carrot, and celery until onions are slightly brown. Stir in garlic, curry powder, cinnamon, paprika, bay leaf, ginger, and sugar. Continue stirring for about 2 minutes. Add tomato paste, soy sauce, broth, cream, and brown sugar. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 20 to 25 minutes. Remove bay leaf. Serve over brown rice.

**This is pretty spicy! My kids like spicy things like salsa and whatnot, but this is too much for them. I loved it, though!**

Makes 4 servings.

Calories 401
Fat 15g
Sodium 533.5mg
Carbs 60g
Fiber 4.7g
Protein 6.6g

Easy Peasy Vegetable Fried Rice

3 cups cooked brown rice (I use instant)
1 (10 ounce) package mixed vegetables (I used peas and carrots)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 small onion, chopped
2 eggs, lightly beaten
4 ounces sliced water chestnuts
2 tsp oil (I like to use sesame oil)
1 tbsp soy sauce
salt and pepper to taste
crushed red pepper flakes to taste (optional)

Heat oil on med-high. Stir onion, rice and garlic for 5 minutes. Add seasonings to taste. Reduce heat to medium and add vegetables and water chestnuts. Cook 2 or 3 minutes. Push everything to the side (if using a wok) or in a separate pan cook eggs. Add to rice and vegetable mixture. Remove from heat, sprinkle with soy sauce and stir well.

Makes 5-1 cup servings.

Calories 307
Fat 7g
Sodium 278mg
Carbs 52g
Fiber 4.5g
Protein 9g