Orange-Sesame Chicken Stir-Fry with Broccoli & Peppers

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Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup orange juice
  • 1 tbsp less-sodium soy sauce
  • 2 tsp less-sodium soy sauce
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • 1/2 tsp honey
  • 1/4 tsp hot pepper sauce or to taste
  • 8 ounce boneless skinless chicken breasts halves or chicken tenders, trimmed and cut into thin slices
  • 1 1/2 tsp cornstarch
  • 3 tsp vegetable oil, divided
  • 1 1/2 cup frozen (not thawed) pepper stir-fry vegetables (onions and bell peppers)
  • 1 tbsp minced or finely grated ginger (see tips)
  • 2 tsp minced garlic (fresh or prepared)
  • 2 cup frozen (not thawed) broccoli florets
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds (see tips)

Stir-frying is an excellent technique for making a quick and delicious meal with a generous portion of veggies. Frozen vegetables save prep time and are easy to keep on hand. When making a stir-fry, it is important to prepare and measure all ingredients before you start to cook. But in this recipe there is a brief marinating time (Step 1), so you can prepare and measure all remaining ingredients while the chicken marinates.

STEPS

1. Combine orange juice, soy sauce, sesame oil, honey and hot pepper sauce in a glass measure. Place chicken in medium bowl or shallow glass dish. Add 2 Tbsp of the orange juice mixture; toss to coat. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator 10 to 15 minutes. Meanwhile, add cornstarch to remaining orange juice mixture; mix with a fork or whisk until smooth.

2. Heat 2 tsp vegetable oil in a large skillet or stir-fry pan over medium-high heat until hot. Drain the chicken and add to the pan; stir-fry until lightly browned and cooked through, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

3. Add remaining 1 tsp vegetable oil to skillet. Add pepper stir-fry vegetables, ginger and garlic; stir-fry until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add broccoli and stir for a few seconds. Add the cup water. Cover and cook until broccoli is heated through and tender, 2 to 3 minutes.

4. Push vegetables to perimeter of pan. Stir reserved marinade to redistribute cornstarch; add to pan. Cook, stirring sauce in center, until sauce boils and thickens, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir vegetables toward center of skillet and add reserved chicken. Cook, stirring, until heated through, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Active time: 15 minutes

Total time: 30 minutes (including 10-15 minutes of marinating time)

Yield: 2 (1-cup) servings. Serve over brown rice, if desired.

Per serving: Cal 350, Fat 15 g (Sat 2.5 g, F:S 6), Carb 20 g, Total sugars 12 g (Added 1 g), Fiber 3 g, Protein 30 g, Sodium 570 mg, Potassium 537 mg, Calcium 98 mg, Vitamin D 0 mcg, Iron 1 mg.

RECIPE VARIATIONS

Tofu stir-fry: Substitute 8 oz firm or extra-firm tofu for the chicken. Cut tofu into -inch cubes and pat thoroughly dry with paper towel before marinating in orange juice-soy sauce mixture in Step 1. In Step 2, stir-fry tofu until lightly browned, 3 to 4 minutes.

Shrimp stir-fry. Substitute 8 oz thawed, peeled and deveined raw medium shrimp for the chicken. Marinate in orange juice-soy sauce mixture in Step 1. In Step 2, stir-fry shrimp until it turns pink, 3 to 4 minutes. If you prefer, you can use precooked shrimp; add it to stir-fry after the sauce has thickened in Step 4.

TIPS FROM THE RECIPE EDITOR

Freezing Minced Ginger: To trim prep time on a busy weeknight, prepare ginger when you have time and store it in the freezer. Freezing minced ginger is also practical because it may take a little while to go through an entire knob of ginger, so it often starts to dry out or develop mold before you use it all. To freeze minced ginger, peel the knob (scraping it with a spoon works well), and then mince it with a chef’s knife or grate it (a Microplane grater works well). Portion ginger by teaspoons or tablespoons into sections of an ice cube tray or onto a parchment- or wax paper-lined baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze until solid. Once cubes are solid, transfer them to a zip-close plastic bag or airtight container. Seal bag and store in freezer for up to 6 months. Thaw ginger before using in a stir-fry.

Toasting Sesame Seeds: Toasted sesame seeds are available in the Asian section of some supermarkets. Look for ones that do not have added salt. It is easy to toast raw sesame seeds. To do so: Heat a small heavy skillet over medium-low heat. Add sesame seeds and stir constantly 2 to 3 minutes or, until light golden and fragrant. Transfer to small bowl and let cool.

Faster Brown Rice: Regular brown rice takes 40 to 50 minutes to cook. If that’s more time than you have, consider these faster options for brown rice:

Frozen, cooked brown rice (plain) in the freezer section of some supermarkets.

Shelf-stable, precooked microwaveable brown rice (contains added oil and salt).

Boxed “minute” brown rice. It has been precooked & dehydrated. Cooks in 10 minutes.

Whole-grain parboiled or converted rice. This means the unhulled grain was steam-pressured before milling to preserve nutrients and to ensure fluffier, separated grains. Cooks in 20 to 25 minutes.

Regular brown rice. Cook a batch and store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 to 4 months.

Recipe abbreviations: Cal = calories, Sat = saturated fat, F:S = total fat to saturated fat ratio, carb = carbohydrate, g = grams, mg = milligrams, mcg = micrograms, Tbsp = tablespoons, tsp = teaspoons, oz = ounce

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