I used to think I didn’t like orange-flavored foods, probably because of those gross chocolate orange things you get around Christmastime. However, living in California with all of the abundant and inexpensive citrus, I thought I should open my mind. Glad I did. These are pan sauces, one is a spicy Asian sauce from Cooking Light. It uses orange marmalade. The second uses fresh orange juice, and I actually adapted it from a cookbook. Pan sauces are an easy and inexpensive way to add class to your dinner table, any night of the week.
P.S.. — In case you don’t know, don’t ever use bottled lemon juice in recipes, only fresh! I know lemons can be expensive, so to get the most juice from them pop them in the microwave for about 30 seconds and roll it before cutting. Also, you don’t have to buy the whole “hand” of ginger, as it is called. Break off what you need at the store.
Spicy Orange Sauce
(This recipe is good with chicken, shrimp, or pork)
Cooking spray
1 tablespoon grated ginger
2/3 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
3 tablespoons orange marmalade
1 1/2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon sambal oelek, or other hot chile sauce
Heat a skillet over medium-high heat; coat with cooking spray. Add grated ginger; sauté 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in chicken broth, orange marmalade, and soy sauce; bring to a boil. Cook until mixture is slightly thick. Stir in fresh lemon juice and sambal oelek.
Yield: About 3/4 cup (serving size: about 3 tablespoons)
CALORIES 45 ; FAT 0.1g (sat 0.0g,mono 0.1g,poly 0.0g); CHOLESTEROL 0.0mg; CALCIUM 10mg; CARBOHYDRATE 11.2g; SODIUM 273mg; PROTEIN 0.8g; FIBER 0.4g; IRON 0.2mg
Cooking Light, JUNE 2009
Chicken in Orange Sauce
Adapted from “Stop and Smell the Rosemary”, Junior League of Houston, Inc.
1 cup fresh orange juice
1 TBSP minced shallot, or onion
4 1/2 tsp white wine vinegar
1 TBSP white wine
1 TBSP packed brown sugar
4 TBSP unsalted butter, divided (if you only have salted butter throw it in anyway)
salt and pepper
1 pound boneless chicken breasts, or pork loin chops
Combine OJ, shallot or onion, vinegar, wine and sugar to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to high and reduce for about 15 minutes. Add 2 TBSP butter and stir. Taste and decide if you need salt and pepper. Meanwhile, salt and pepper your chicken breasts. Heat one or two TBSP of butter on medium high heat. Cook the chicken through, being careful not to turn it until it browns, otherwise it will tear. After it is browned on both sides lower the heat to medium low. Add the reduced sauce, scraping up the browned bits from the chicken into the sauce. Cook until thickened which should be almost right way.
I caught Anna (my almost 5-year-old) licking the plate trying to get more sauce, which ended up all over her chin.
