Fall can be such a busy time, filled with after school activities and evening obligations. It ends up being so easy to fall into the “take-out trap” when we’re too busy to plan ahead, or we’re just too exhausted from our busy day to cook a healthy meal.
This recipe, originally found in the November/December 2013 issue of Clean Eating Magazine, was part of a story titled “Defeat Dinner in 30 minutes”. It sounded perfect for those nights when it feels like there’s not enough time to get dinner on the table.
Give it a try and let us know what you think !
Note: I’m all for using what you have on hand, so if you prefer whole wheat pasta or brown rice instead of brown rice noodles, go for it !
Clean Eating Orange Sesame Chicken
Ingredients:
8 oz pad thai or vermicelli brown rice noodles
3/4 cup fresh orange juice
3 tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce
1 tbsp arrowroot flour or cornstarch (used to thicken sauce)
1 1/2 tsp sesame seeds
2 tbsp high heat cooking oil (sunflower, safflower or grape seed oil)
3 to 4 small dried chilies, roughly broken into pieces
1 small red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1 inch chunks
1 small red onion, cut into 2 inch dice
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 inch strips
2 scallions thinly sliced
Instructions:
Prepare noodles, or rice if you’ve chosen to substitute, according to package directions.
While water is coming to a boil, whisk together the orange juice, soy sauce and arrowroot (or cornstarch) in a small bowl. Set aside.
Heat a wok or nonstick skillet on high. Add the sesame seeds and toast, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned and fragrant, 30 to 60 seconds. Transfer the seeds to plate and set aside (You can skip this step if you’re lazy like me you’ve purchased already toasted sesame seeds).
In the same wok, heat the oil on high. Add the dried chilies and bell pepper and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add the onion and stir fry for 30 additional seconds. Add the chicken and stir-fry until vegetables are crisp and tender, and the chicken is cooked through – 4 to 5 minutes depending on the size of your chicken strips. Add the juice mixture and cook, tossing, until sauce comes to a boil and thickens, about 1 minute.
Drain noodles and divide among bowls. Top with chicken mixture and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and scallions.
So delicious!!!!
