Ginger Orange Chicken

I'm not going to lie, sometimes, I really miss the carefree days of eating at restaurants and not cooking at home. I lived very close to the city of Chicago most of my young adult life and had the privilege of sampling so many different cuisines. B.C, "before children", my husband and I loved visiting Asian restaurants. In particular Thai and Chinese standout with their amazingly flavorful dishes. I was always a fan of the thick, velvety sauces that would coat either rice or noodles and the combination of sweet and sour flavor just make my mouth water.

​I realize that it would be a miracle to find a restaurant that would accommodate my family's list of allergens, especially avoiding soy, eggs, and nuts. 

ma Longing to re-create some of those flavor memories and share them with my children, I set out to create a dish that was inspired by the familiar mix of sweet and sour flavors.

​To the kitchen I went to figure out not only the flavors, but how to work around our food restrictions. For example, to get a crust on the chicken that will allow for a sauce to thicken normally would call for coating the chicken with egg whites and cornstarch and/or flour. As an alternative to those other ingredients, I mixed applesauce, a little water, and arrowroot to get similar results. Applesauce tends to be my go-to egg substitute and I prefer to use arrowroot as my thickening agent. I was able to get a nice caramelization on the outside of the chicken as well as end up with a thick, velvety sauce.

Feel free to serve this as a meal by adding over rice, noodles, or your choice of a starch. I hope you enjoy this as much as me and my family does! 

Ginger Orange Chicken

Ingredients

• 11/2lb chicken thighs, boneless and skinless
• 2 tbsp applesauce
• 2 tsp water
• 1tbsp of arrowroot
• Salt and Pepper, to taste
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1/4 cup orange juice, fresh squeezed
• 1/4 cup coconut aminos (can sub soy sauce)
• 1tsp orange zest (from one orange)
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• 1tbsp ginger, freshly grated
• 2-3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1tbsp rice wine vinegar
• Pinch of red pepper flakes
• 1 tbsp coconut oil and olive oil each, mixed together for browning
• Green onions and cilantro, for garnishing

Directions

1. Cut the chicken thigh into bite size cubes, trimming any excess fat.
2. Whisk together the applesauce, water, and arrowroot in a bowl and add the chicken. Season the mixture with salt and pepper.
3. In a pourable container, add the chicken broth, orange juice, coconut aminos, maple syrup, and rice wine vinegar together and whisk to combine. Set aside.
4. Using a cast iron skillet, heat the pan to medium and add the coconut oil and olive oil mixture and begin browning the chicken, working in batches if needed, cooking for about 5 minutes each side, making sure to check the browning side is not burning.
5. Once both sides are browned, remove the chicken and pour out any excess fat from the skillet and return to stove.
6. Add the garlic, ginger, and orange zest to the pan and sauté for up to one minute.
7. Pour half of the chicken broth mixture into the skillet and using a wooden spoon, scrape any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
8. Add the chicken back to the pan along with the rest of the chicken broth mixture and red pepper flakes.
9. Let it come to a boil then lower heat and let simmer until sauce begins to thicken, about 10 -12 minutes.
10. Mince the green onion and cilantro to garnish.
11. Once done, pour chicken and sauce over prepared white rice or noodles and garnish with green onion and cilantro.
12. Enjoy this Easy recipe!

The below pictures provide links directly to Vital Proteins & Amazon, if you would like to compare prices or order any of the products simply click the images or text you see below. 
We also have found many of these ingredients at our local Whole Foods Market or natural foods store. Keep in mind buying in bulk via Amazon or buying a full case at Whole Foods can help cut down the price.

• Link to Amazon Food Products
• Link to Vital Proteins

Coconut Secret Coconut Aminos Sauce

Bob's Red Mill Arrowroot Starch