One of the first things that I made for myself when I went gluten free was orange chicken. Now that I’m forced to restrict my diet even further, I needed to re-imagine one of my favorite dishes in the spirit of my great great great great great great ^ 20th grandparents (ie: the cavepeople, to be politically correct). And I have to say, it came out surprisingly well. I don’t think I’ll use coconut oil for sauteing the chicken and moistening the Cauli-Rice (‘rice’ made from cauliflower) again, because the coconut flavor that penetrated the entire dish was a little distracting. Unfortunately, coconut oil/mana/aminos/flour are staples of the Paleo diet, so my life long aversion to the flavor simply has to go. Aside from being unable to fry the chicken (since I wasn’t able to coat it in anything), I thought the dish came out pretty well. The Cauli-Rice was surprisingly delicious, with a pretty memorable omage to your local hibachi place’s fried rice. The chicken achieved an interesting crunchyness when fried in the coconut oil. I would add a bit more garlic in next time. I had intended to use a garlic paste that’s in my refrigerator, but, as a relic of my less healthful days, it was chock full of ingredients that are strictly prohibited on my new diet. Anyway, enjoy!
Paleo Orange Chicken
Ingredients:
For Chicken:
2 Oranges, Juiced
Zest of 1 Orange
2 Chicken Breasts (using dark me would be more reminiscent of real orange chicken, but I used breast since it’s what I had)
2 Cloves Garlic, Minced
Chilli Powder (Optional)
3 Tbsp Coconut Aminos (soy sauce replacement)
3 Green Onions, Chopped
1 Tsp Ginger, Minced
For Cauli-Rice:
1 head of Cauliflower, chopped or processed in a food processor to be the size of rice grains (two pulses per floret in my magic bullet!)
Half a White Onion, Chopped
Salt and Pepper to taste
Garlic Powder
Instructions for Chicken: In a medium size sauce pot, add the orange juice, zest, ginger, coconut aminos and chili garlic sauce or sriracha. Set over medium heat and let simmer to reduce and thicken while the chicken cooks. In a saute pan, heat 3 T of the fat of your choice, over medium high heat. Add the chopped chicken thighs and cook until a nice brown crust has developed on the chicken pieces, about 6 minutes. Add the chicken to the sauce pot and stir to coat with the orange sauce. Serve topped with sliced green onions.
Instructions for Rice: Place a small sauce pan over medium heat, melt 2 Tbsp of coconut oil. Add onions and cook until clear. After onions are finished cooking, add Cauli-rice. Season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Serve with chicken. (I think the rice tastes better with a little browning in parts, so don’t be afraid to increase the heat a bit).
Enjoy!
BUCKWHEAT 