Orange Chicken Stir-fry

I saw this recipe and guess what I had in my fridge...fresh citrus!  woohoo!  I also I am back to being able to cook and wanting to cook with lots of vegetables.  So, my fridge is loaded with veggies and ready for veggie cooking extravaganza! I used broccoli, asparagus, french green beans, red bell peppers, zucchini and served it with a buckwheat soba noodles.  So stir fry friends, stir fry.

Citrus Chicken and Vegetable Stir-Fry

modified from: Alice Currah is the publisher of popular food blog, SavorySweetLife.com

Ingredients

• Sauce:

• 3/4 cup orange or other citrus juice
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce (I used sweet soy sauce)
• 2 tablespoons  vinegar (it calls for rice vinegar, but I don't like rice vinegar, so I used what I had)
• 1 tablespoon orange zest

 

• 2 large cloves garlic
• 1 teaspoon minced ginger or 1/2 tsp powdered ginger
• optional sweetener like sugar, honey, agave, etc.

• Stir-fry:

• 1 pound chicken tender cut into cubes
• salt and pepper
• 3 tablespoons corn starch
• 4 cups chopped vegetables such as broccoli, carrots, celery, mushroom, snap peas, red peppers, sweet potatoes ...whatever you have on hand.
• olive oil
• 1/2 cup medium yellow onion, chopped

Instructions

1. Blend all the ingredients for the sauce in a blender or food processor for 10 seconds.
2. Taste the sauce and add your choice of sweetener to your liking.
3. Blend again for a few more seconds.
4. Heat the sauce in a large skillet on medium-high heat for 5 minutes. Carefully transfer the sauce to a heat proof bowl.
5. Rinse the skillet clean.
6. Season the chicken with salt and pepper.
7. Add the corn starch and massage the chicken with your hands.
8. If using fresh broccoli or green beans, boil the broccoli for 3-5 minutes until soft enough to pierce with a fork yet firm.
9. Transfer the vegetables to a plate lined with a paper towel.
10. Wipe down the skillet until dry.
11. Heat approximately 1 tablespoon of oil in the skillet on medium-high heat.
12. Cook the onion and chicken until the chicken is cooked through, approximately 3-4 minutes.
13. Add the remaining vegetables and stir-fry them together for 2 minutes.
14. Slowly add a few tablespoons of sauce while stirring the vegetables and chicken.
15. Continue to add the sauce a few tablespoons at a time, allowing about 15 seconds between each addition to allow sauce to slightly cook down.
16. Spoon the stir-fry over a bowl of hot rice or noodles. Serve immediately.

Why I will never buy another Granola Bar!

Yes, I made homemade granola bars.  They were easy and oh, so tasty!  I used almonds and cranberries, but I also want to make pecans and cherries or peanut butter and chocolate or ...whatever else I can think of.  So, if you like granola bars you have to try this!  Though, one tip, use parchment paper on the bottom or they will stick solid. 

Granola Bars

1 1/2 cups of rolled oats (I used 1 cup rolled oats and 1/2 cup steel cut oats)

1 cup chopped almonds (or other nuts)

1 cup dried cranberries (or other dried fruit)

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup honey

 

 

Preheat oven to 350. Mix all ingredients. Spread into a well-greased pan. Bake for 10-20 minutes, depending on your crunch preference (the longer it cooks, the crunchier it gets). Let the granola cool before you cut it, or it will fall apart.