I'm sure the other millions of mothers out there who blog would nod in agreement when I say that blogging with small children is both interesting and a challenge. As I write this, I have a tiny stuffed lion and an even tinier stuffed tiger poised next to the monitor to "watch" me -- a necessary element for me to complete this task, according to my 4-year-old. Give me one more minute... and yes, a tiny cheetah has been added to the menagerie, thanks to my 6-year-old. Throw a morning thunderstorm into the atmosphere, a 6-year-old who insists on playing school with me as the teacher and a 4-year-old with a Maglite (in case the storm takes out the power, you know), and it's a wonder I'm able to complete a sentence, let alone a paragraph. Or that any of this makes sense.
Last night I made some major revisions to my Sweet and Sour Chicken recipe. My original recipe was during our gluten-free-but-not-low-carb phase, so it had a whopping 6 Tablespoons of sugar in addition to the sweet orange juice. I was also still using canola oil as one of many Americans who still believed the lies that corn and canola oil are healthier because they're from vegetables -- nevermind the fact that canola oil does not exist in nature and is therefore fundamentally flawed (a quick guide to the world of fats: polyunsaturated = bad).
With all of my Paleo revisions to my old recipe, it tasted darn good. Not too sweet, not too sour. And thankfully it helped use up some of the abundant zucchini and squash bursting from our garden.
Sweet and Sour Chicken with Summer Vegetables
Chicken:
2 TBSP oil or melted lard/butter
1 TBSP arrowroot powder
2 teaspoons gluten-free soy sauce or fermented coconut sauce
2 teaspoons dry sherry
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, sliced thin
Sweet and Sour Sauce:
3 TBSP red wine vinegar
juice from 1 orange (about 1/3rd cup)
2 TBSP sugar
3 TBSP ketchup (organic preferred)
1 TBSP arrowroot powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Stir Fry:
2 TBSP lard or oil
2 large carrots, sliced 1/4-inch thick
1 medium zucchini, sliced and quartered
1 medium summer squash, sliced and quartered
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 green onion, sliced thin
1. Prepare the chicken: in a large bowl, rectangular dish or plastic bag, combine oil, arrowroot, soy sauce, and sherry. Add chicken, stir to coat and let the chicken marinate while preparing remaining ingredients.
2. In a small bowl, stir together minced garlic and green onion; set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together ingredients for sauce: red wine vinegar, orange juice, sugar, ketchup, arrowroot powder and sea salt; set aside.
3. Heat 1 TBSP lard/oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook until lightly browned on all sides until cooked through or 165 degrees, about 3 minutes. Be sure not to overcook chicken as it does cook quickly. Transfer chicken to a bowl, cover and set aside.
4. Add carrots, zucchini, and squash to the skillet, and stir fry until vegetables are crisp-tender, about 5 minutes.
5. Add garlic and green onion and stir into vegetables. Return the chicken to the skillet and add the sweet and sour sauce. Simmer, stirring constantly, until sauce thickens, about 1 minute. Remove skillet from heat and serve.
Last night I made some major revisions to my Sweet and Sour Chicken recipe. My original recipe was during our gluten-free-but-not-low-carb phase, so it had a whopping 6 Tablespoons of sugar in addition to the sweet orange juice. I was also still using canola oil as one of many Americans who still believed the lies that corn and canola oil are healthier because they're from vegetables -- nevermind the fact that canola oil does not exist in nature and is therefore fundamentally flawed (a quick guide to the world of fats: polyunsaturated = bad).
With all of my Paleo revisions to my old recipe, it tasted darn good. Not too sweet, not too sour. And thankfully it helped use up some of the abundant zucchini and squash bursting from our garden.
Sweet and Sour Chicken with Summer Vegetables
Chicken:
2 TBSP oil or melted lard/butter
1 TBSP arrowroot powder
2 teaspoons gluten-free soy sauce or fermented coconut sauce
2 teaspoons dry sherry
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, sliced thin
Sweet and Sour Sauce:
3 TBSP red wine vinegar
juice from 1 orange (about 1/3rd cup)
2 TBSP sugar
3 TBSP ketchup (organic preferred)
1 TBSP arrowroot powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Stir Fry:
2 TBSP lard or oil
2 large carrots, sliced 1/4-inch thick
1 medium zucchini, sliced and quartered
1 medium summer squash, sliced and quartered
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 green onion, sliced thin
1. Prepare the chicken: in a large bowl, rectangular dish or plastic bag, combine oil, arrowroot, soy sauce, and sherry. Add chicken, stir to coat and let the chicken marinate while preparing remaining ingredients.
2. In a small bowl, stir together minced garlic and green onion; set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together ingredients for sauce: red wine vinegar, orange juice, sugar, ketchup, arrowroot powder and sea salt; set aside.
3. Heat 1 TBSP lard/oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook until lightly browned on all sides until cooked through or 165 degrees, about 3 minutes. Be sure not to overcook chicken as it does cook quickly. Transfer chicken to a bowl, cover and set aside.
4. Add carrots, zucchini, and squash to the skillet, and stir fry until vegetables are crisp-tender, about 5 minutes.
5. Add garlic and green onion and stir into vegetables. Return the chicken to the skillet and add the sweet and sour sauce. Simmer, stirring constantly, until sauce thickens, about 1 minute. Remove skillet from heat and serve.