Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Quick-Fix Orange Ginger Chicken


From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Our Thanksgiving dinner was a success and there weren't many were leftovers to deal with. The cider-brined pork was devoured and, despite having made two of them, I never got to sample the maple mousse cake I was so proud of. The Silver Fox, who lived through the testing of all the recipes, as well as the dinner itself, was thrilled there were no leavings. I must admit I was a bit relieved myself. That meant we could start a regimen of lighter meals a bit earlier than usual. It, for years, has been our habit to eat smaller meals in the period that stretches from Thanksgiving to Christmas. Several weeks of low-fat and low-calorie meals make Christmas excesses possible and spare us from living on the treadmill. We have been known to overdo it during the holidays, so during the interim period I actively seek out recipes for easy and healthy meals. I have to thank the Taste of Home magazine for the recipe I'm featuring today. We love Asian food, and, while this recipe is not authentically Asian, it's close enough to make a satisfying meal on a busy day. I basically followed the recipe as it was written, but did make a few changes for our meal. I used the zest and juice of one orange in my version of the recipe. I also used a good, slightly bitter, English marmalade that I've cooked with before. While I don't want to belabor the point, I know from cooking competitions how important the condiments we use in cooking can be. Brand "A" and brand "B" don't always produce the same results, so, once you find one that works for you, be consistent and unrelenting in its use. I also added a clove of garlic, a pinch of red pepper flakes and used the full compliment of ginger the recipe called for. You'll want to have a 1/4 cup of water or stock at the ready to dilute the sauce in case it becomes too thick. It will become too thick. This dish comes together quickly and it can be table ready in about 30 minutes. That is a boon for busy cooks during the holiday season. I hope you'll give this recipe a try. It makes a lovely quick meal. Here's the recipe as it was published.

Orange Ginger Chicken ...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Taste of Home magazine

Ingredients:
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
6 boneless skinless chicken thighs (about 1-1/2 pounds), cubed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons canola oil
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup orange marmalade
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 to 1 teaspoon ground ginger
Optional garnishes: thinly sliced green onion and sesame seeds

Directions:

1) Place flour in a large resealable plastic bag. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Add to bag, a few pieces at a time, and shake to coat. In a large skillet, cook chicken in oil in batches over medium heat until chicken is no longer pink. Remove and keep warm.
2) In same skillet, combine orange juice, marmalade, soy sauce, honey, and ginger. Bring to a boil, stirring to loosen browned bits from pan; cook and stir until thickened. Return chicken to the pan; heat through. Sprinkle with green onion and sesame seeds if desired. Yield: 4 to 6 servings.








One Year Ago Today: Cranberry Layered Cheesecake
















Two Years Ago Today: Appetizer Cheese Bites

38 comments :

Ginny Hartzler said...

This looks really good! I love Taste Of Home magazine, and have subscribed to it in the past. I also love to watch "America's Test Kitchen" and read Cooks Illustrated.

Lenia said...

I love the combination of ingredients!Have a lovely day,dear Mary!

Red Nomad OZ said...

Oh, they're ALL good words in the title to this post!!! The marmalade is an interesting addition - but looks and sounds sensational!!!

Sushma Mallya said...

Love the ingredients used here Mary, looks very delicious!

Alicia Foodycat said...

That's a very tasty looking meal! You are so right about the quality of condiments you use, it makes such a difference!

Lynn said...

This sounds great and I do have all of the items:@)

Priya Suresh said...

Looks absolutely irresistible lovely orange ginger chicken.

Vicki Bensinger said...

Wow quick, simple and packed with flavor. This sounds so good. This would be a great stir fry dish with lots of julienned veggies. Sounds wonderful.

I know what you're talking about with thanksgiving. I oftentimes feel like from thanksgiving to New Years it's just one continuous meal.

Anna's kitchen table said...

That sounds really good and something I could make on a weekday that we would all enjoy!

Big Dude said...

This looks super good Mary and I knew your Thanksgiving would be a roaring success. We like to try out our recipes on the guests and they know it up front, but occasionally we crash and burn.

Sofia.Lopez said...

Hello Mary,
I love so much this asian flavours...the combination looks perfect! A quick and delicious meal just like i enjoy to eat...
Big kiss for yuou and have a really nice day ;)

Tanna said...

Sounds like a perfect meal for this busy season!! Have a wonderful day, Mary! blessings ~ tanna

Nicole said...

My family has also been known to overdo it with the holiday eating… it's just so hard to control yourself with all the amazing food in front of you. I love orange chicken but have not yet tried my hand at making it. It looks scrumptious!

Kim said...

Really love this chicken, the orange taste is probably enough strong for me (I always think that the orange taste is not strong enough in savory recipes)!

Unknown said...

This sounds lovely, Mary! I very much like orange flavors in my savory dishes.. it's so bright and vibrant!

Judy@SavoringToday said...

Mmm, I love the combination of orange and ginger, and chicken thighs are wonderful too! This looks quite tasty.

StephenC said...

Kudos to you and the Silver Fox for sensible eating. And for your consistently useful recipes.

Diane said...

Orange, ginger and chicken, I cannot think of a better combination. Take care Diane

The Path Traveled said...

This sounds really good. I am glad to see it using Chicken Thighs instead of breast. They are so much better.

Kath said...

I find that I, too, look for lighter recipes to serve in the period between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Your chicken looks perfect!

Rita said...

Ginger, orange and hoeny; it has to be real good; great combination.
Rita

Floreal said...

Hi Mary,
Thank you for visitting my blog, I've been pretty happy for that. I've spent a ver y good time in your kitchen and I love all thing taht I can see, for instance, this week we'll try that sandwich of grilled tomatoe and blue . And that's the beginning because you've pretty interesting recipes!
I hope to hear from you soon.
Encantada de haberte conocido, saludos!

Valerie Harrison (bellini) said...

I wholeheartedly agree about eating lighter meals before the Christmas "gorge-fest" Mary!

Elisabeth said...

Love your orange-ginger chicken, so delicious and comforting...also the yummy cranberry cheesecake, from last year, is superb, Mary!

Mini Baker said...

mmmm i love orange chicken. when i don't make it myself, I cheat and go to Panda Express. Its my guilty pleasure and I'm quite ashamed haha :)

Chiara said...

This looks good and tasty! I love chicken...have a very good day...

Karen (Back Road Journal) said...

Mary, the chicken dish sounds perfect. We do the same think and try to eat a little lighter between the two holidays.

lena said...

hi mary, i havent tried making orange chicken here and the orange marmalade sounds like a great ingredient here and i do think it makes the flavour stands out!

That Girl said...

It's funny how I bemoan the lack of leftovers and you rejoice in it.

Beverly said...

Mary, I will definitely try this. It sounds like something we would really enjoy.

I've been sick with a terrible cold and cough. This is the third week, and I am slowly getting better. Now my sweet husband has it.

I hope you will join us every Pink Saturday during the holidays as we celebrate together. I've missed you.

Sue/the view from great island said...

I'm totally with you on the regimen of lighter meals. Asian food is just perfect for that, but I don't have a lot of experience cooking it, so I really appreciate the recipe.

Swathi said...

This orange ginger chicken looks delicious. My hubby eats chicken, sure I will show this recipe.

Unknown said...

This looks fantastic! I just made some clementine-cranberry marmalade - I might have to try this with a little different twist!

Joanne said...

the only way I can maintain any kind of sanity is to eat only lighter meals in-between holiday seasons. This looks perfect! I love that orange sauce.

Lori said...

My husband loves orange chicken so this is one I definitely need to try. It looks so good!

Amy said...

Delicious. What a great recipe. :)

Claudia said...

I enjoy these type of meals so much - carefully spiced - lots of flavors coming together - and done fairly quickly. I thought that by my age - I would be done with needing quick meals. I thought wrong.

Tiffany said...

Mary, thank you for finding me! I scrolled down your page here and you have some great stuff. This recipe in particular looks wonderful. Looks like you have a lot of cooking experience... someday I will be like you :)

Related Posts with Thumbnails

Printfriendly