Chicken is always going to be a staple in a low-fat diet but there’s so much more to this fabulously versatile meat if you want to do something other than grill it. Being low fat is a great start to any recipe so with the addition of a few more low fat/low-calorie ingredients you usually end up with something not only tasty but also very healthy.
This beautifully delicious recipe for Zesty Orange Chicken dish is so easy. All done in 20 minutes, it relies on tender chicken and sticky orange marmalade to combine for a burst of zesty flavour that goes perfectly with boiled brown rice and some steamed green vegetables – an excellent low-fat dinner or supper dish.
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 15 minutes + chilling
Serves: 4 people
Energy: 213 calories per serving
Equipment:
Mixing bowl/jug
Large frying pan
Sharp vegetable knife
Grater
Ingredients:
1 cup reduced-salt chicken stock
2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
2 tablespoons orange marmalade
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon cornflour
1 pound chicken strips or breast cut into fingers
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
6 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 large shallots
1 orange
Directions:
Put the chicken stock, vinegar, marmalade, mustard and cornflour and whisk together until well combined
Peel and chop the shallots very finely
Grate the zest from the orange – get at least 1 teaspoon
Season the chicken with salt and pepper
Heat 4 teaspoons of the oil in a large frying pan on a medium flame
Add the chicken
Cook for about 2 minutes on each side until golden
Remove chicken from pan, put on a plate and cover with foil to keep it warm
Put the remaining 2 teaspoons of oil in the pan
Add the shallots and cook, stirring regularly until they are golden brown
Whisk the liquid once to recombine and add a small amount to the shallots to deglaze the pan (scrape any juices stuck to the pan)
Pour in the remainder of the liquid and reduce heat
Simmer until the sauce has reduced and thickened – up to 2 minutes
Return the chicken to the pan
Simmer until the chicken is thoroughly cooked and reheated
Remove from the heat and add the orange zest, leaving some for garnish
Serve immediately sprinkled with zest