Orange Chicken

The kids don't help me plan meals and then won't eat what I make.  Finally, something they like!

Totally ripped off from Health Bent, thanks Brandon & Megan.  I think you'll like their Paleo Orange Chicken, too.

photo cred: Health Bent

Ingredients:

• 1lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs (I use Rosie organic, free range), cut into bite size pieces
• 3T coconut oil
• juice of 2 oranges - taste them, if they aren't sweet & orangey, neither will your final dish, trust me
• zest from 1 orange
• 1 t fresh ginger
• 3T tamari (wheat-free soy sauce)
• 1t chili garlic sauce or sriracha
• 3 green onions, chopped

Directions:

1. In a saucepan add orange juice, zest, ginger, tamari, chili sauce.  Cook over medium heat until it boils.  Reduce to a simmer until thickened.
2. In a large skillet heat coconut oil and add chicken pieces.  Cook until chicken has a nice, brown crust.
3. Add chicken to sauce and stir to coat.
4. Serve topped with green onions.

Traditional Cranberry Sauce

My husband is becoming less and less frilly with his food.  So, this year we're not adding pears, apples, nuts, chipotles, or anything (almost) to our cranberry sauce.

Photo: Can You Stay For Dinner?

Ingredients:

3 cups of fresh cranberries
juice of one orange
zest of one orange
1 teaspoon of cinnamon

Directions:

• Combine all ingredients in a saucepan on medium heat.  
• Cook for about 30 min or until consistency is jam-like. 

Serves 5-8

Double or triple your recipe as needed. Fresh cranberry sauce should be used within a week.

Recipes to gobble it up:

Baked Sweet Potato with Citrus topped with cranberry sauce
As a topping for Coconut Waffles
Add to Apple Cider Vinaigrette and serve with Kale Cranberry Salad
Spread onto warm Apple Cinnamon Muffins

Baked Sweet Potatoes with Citrus

Photo: Bryan Gardner

We discovered this recipe before we were paleo or bulletproof.  A friend of ours challenged us to the Whole Living 2012 Action Plan, a 4-week detox.  We've kept a few of the delicious recipes as we've transitioned into our new healthy eating lifestyle.

This recipe is delicious anytime but we like it for breakfast.  Make a couple extra sweet potatoes and consider baking a pan of the Sweet Potato Bars from a previous post.

Ingredients

•  2 small sweet potatoes
• 1/4 cup chopped raw almonds
• dash of cinnamon
• dash of freshly grated nutmeg
• pinch of sea salt
• 2 orange wedges

Directions

1. Heat oven to 400˚.  Prick sweet potatoes with a fork.
2. Bake until tender, about 1 hour.  
3. Split the top with a knife and top with almonds and spices.
4. Squeeze  orange wedges over sweet potatoes and serve.

Serves 2