Mandarin Orange Chicken (gluten and dairy free)

Hello, friends! It's been a while!

These days my kids are all grown up, and life looks a little different than it did when I first started this blog. Even so, I still find myself in the kitchen several nights a week, trying to get a delicious dinner on the table. And after all these years, this little corner of the internet is still the first place I go when I'm looking for a recipe I know my family loves.

Lately I've been collecting some newer favorites that deserve a permanent home here—not only so I can find them again, but so I can share them with you, too.

This Mandarin Orange Chicken is one of those recipes. My friend Jen made it for us years ago, and after one bite I knew it was a keeper. It's become a regular in our dinner rotation because it's simple, flavorful, and everyone loves it.

One of my favorite things about this recipe is how easy it is to adapt for food allergies. It's naturally dairy-free, and the only ingredient containing gluten is the soy sauce. Simply substitute gluten-free soy sauce or coconut aminos, and you'll never miss the gluten. You can also adjust the sugar to your family's taste—add the full amount for a sweeter sauce or reduce it if you prefer something a little less sweet.

I hope your family enjoys this one as much as ours does!

Click here for printable recipe.   

Mandarin Orange Chicken 
Makes 6 servings

The ingredients:   

CHICKEN
1-1/4 lbs fresh boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into chunks

1 Tbs.  paprika

1/2 tsp pepper

1 tsp salt 

3 Tbs. neutral oil (I usually use avocado oil)

ORANGE SAUCE

1 lg. (29 oz) can mandarin orange juice (reserve fruit for later in the recipe)

1 clove garlic, minced

1cup  beef broth

1/2 of a 12 ounce container  frozen orange juice concentrate

2-3 Tbs. cornstarch

2 Tbs. soy sauce (NOTE: soy sauce contains gluten, so look for coconut aminos or a gluten free soy sauce if you are making this for someone avoiding gluten  )

1 tsp. ginger
2 Tbs. sugar (optional)

ADD AT THE END

1 can  coconut milk

reserved mandarin oranges
2 cups sliced almonds, sautéed in a little oil
3-4 cups hot cooked rice

 

GETTING STARTED:   Preheat oven to 400-degrees.   Start rice cooking. 

CHICKEN DIRECTIONS:    In a medium bowl, toss fresh chopped chicken with oil, paprika, salt, and pepper.

Spread in a single layer onto a foil lined cookie sheet. 

 Bake at 400-degrees for 20 minutes, stirring once in the middle. 

SAUCE DIRECTIONS:   While the chicken is cooking, saute the garlic with a little oil. 

Then combine the juice drained from the can of mandarin oranges,

minced garlic, beef broth, and the orange juice concentrate in a large sauce pot.

 Cook over medium-high heat for about 15 minutes. 

In a small bowl whisk together cornstarch and soy sauce or coconut aminos, then slowly whisk into the orange sauce.  Add ginger and sugar (if desired) cook until thickened. 

  

TO SERVE:   Add the cooked chicken,

coconut milk,

 and reserved mandarin oranges to the sauce. 

  Serve over rice and top with the sautéed almonds.  

Roasted veggies is a perfect side with this!  

Enjoy!  

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Basil Chicken in Coconut-Curry Sauce

I love waking up in the morning already knowing what I'm going to make for dinner that night.  It not only gives  me a chance to do some of the prep work early in the day, but I also invariably get excited about what I'm cooking that night.    As I mixed together the spices for this Indian curry dish,  I found myself drooling even before I'd cooked a thing.  By the time I was done cooking this aromatic, super creamy (but dairy free), and  deliciously flavorful dish, I was ready start eating straight out of the pan.   Although it was a bit too "weird" tasting for a couple of my younger kids, those of us over the age of 10 totally devoured it.  In fact my husband even went so far as to start questioning me about when I would blog about it.  He knows me too well that if I don't blog about a recipe that it gets forgotten and this is one he did not want forgotten.  :) 

Recipe Source: Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book  

Click here for printable recipe.

Posted by Lara.


The ingredients:
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, diced
2 tsp. curry powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. ginger
1 red onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic, chopped
2 fresh jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely chopped (take care not to touch the seeds)
2 Tbs. olive oil, divided
1 14-ounce can unsweetened coconut milk
1 Tbs. cornstarch
1/4 cup snipped fresh basil, chopped
Hot cooked rice

Directions:

EARLY PREP (if you like cutting down on the prep time during the dinner crunch, this part can be done early in the day):  Cut the chicken into 1-inch pieces and place in a medium bowl.  In a small bowl stir together the curry powder, salt, pepper, chili powder, and ginger.  Sprinkle spice mixture over chicken.  Stir together and refrigerate until ready to use.    You can also chop the onion, garlic, and jalapeno peppers if desired. 

DINNERTIME PREP: 
In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat.  When oil is hot, add onion, garlic, and jalapeno peppers and stir together.  Saute for 3-4 minutes, then remove onion mixture from pan and set aside. 

Add an additional 1 tablespoon olive oil and chicken to hot skillet and heat over medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes.  Then reduce the heat to low and cook 8-10 minutes or until chicken is tender and cooked through.  Remove chicken from pan and set aside. 

In a small bowl combine coconut milk and cornstarch.   Pour into hot skillet and cook and stir until slightly thickened and bubbly. 

Return chicken and onion mixture to skillet.  Stir together with coconut milk to combine. 

Stir in fresh basil and cook and stir about 2 minutes more. 

Makes about 4-5 servings.  Serve over hot rice. 

Enjoy! 

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Spinach and Zucchini Soup

 Every recipe I've ever made of Mirien's has been fabulous, so when she bragged that this healthy soup was one of their family's favorite meals, I knew I needed to give it a try.   A couple of my kids were a little nervous about the greenness of it, but the fresh flavor of it was surprisingly delicious and I definitely envision this soup being a regular part of our winter menu.    Now, in the interest of full disclosure,  if you don't like cilantro, you probably won't enjoy this soup, because the cilantro flavor was pronounced.   However if you love cilantro, like everyone in my family does, I think that you will absolutely love this.  You don't want to skip the little squeeze of lemon at the end, because we all agreed that it really complemented the flavors perfectly.  Serve it up with some fresh, hot homemade bread, the squeeze of lemon, a swirl of sour cream, and a sprinkle of crumbled bacon.  Enjoy! 

Recipe Source:  Mirien's Kitchen

 Click here for printable recipe .

The ingredients:

3 Tbs. olive oil
2 onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. salt
3 potatoes, peeled & cubed
2 medium zucchini, diced
4 cups chicken broth
4 cups fresh spinach leaves (I used a 5-ounce bag)
1 cup fresh cilantro leaves
1 lemon (don't skip)
Desired toppings:  sour cream, croutons, crumbled bacon, shredded cheese

Directions:  Heat oil in large pot and saute onions and garlic until soft. Add salt, potatoes, zucchini, and broth and simmer until vegetables are tender (10-15 min.)

Add spinach and cilantro and stir until just wilted. Puree in blender until smooth, then return to pot to keep warm. Serve with lemon wedges and squeeze juice into the soup.

Serve topped with sour cream, bacon, cheese, croutons, etc. and hot bread on the side. 

Enjoy!


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Wacky Cake (with Paw Print Decorations)

  We’ve been making this Wacky Cake recipe, which is completely egg and milk free, for years.  It’s easy to make, doesn’t fall apart,  and actually tastes good too, which is more than can be said for most egg free cake recipes I’d tried previously. 

Since I was making these for a group of kids with some food allergies, I had to make some accommodations to decorate them.   Basically, we combined the Wacky Cake with some store bought Pillsbury Cream Cheese frosting, which ironically, considering its name, doesn’t contain any dairy at all.  Then we added some Oreo cookies, which are also totally dairy free.  While the Junior Mints are dairy free as well, they are processed in a plant with other dairy products, so you may need to substitute those for mini-Oreos if you are making these for someone who is deathly allergic to dairy products (it’s fairly uncommon to have that severe an allergy to dairy, but you should check first to make sure). 

In any case, allergies or not, these cupcakes are fun and perfect for kid-project on a rainy day!  They’d also be perfect for a dog or bear themed birthday party or for a classroom activity.

Enjoy!

Click here for printable recipe.


The ingredients:

“Wacky Cake”:  Dairy Free Chocolate Cake (No eggs, no milk)
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
3 Tbs. unsweetened cocoa
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. vinegar
5 Tbs. vegetable oil
1 cup cold water


Directions:  In a large mixing bowl, mix flour, sugar, cocoa, soda and salt. Make three wells in the flour mixture. In one put vanilla; in another the vinegar, and in the third the oil. Pour the cold water over the mixture and stir until moistened.

Pour into 8 x 8-inch pan or prepared cupcake tins. Bake at 350°F. oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until it springs back when touched lightly.  Makes 1 (8x8-inch) cake or 12 cupcakes.  Enjoy! 



Paw Print Decorations: 

Baked cupcakes
Dairy Free white frosting  (see note below)
Oreo cookies  (Oreos are totally dairy free)
Junior Mints candies  (these are processed in a plant with other dairy products, but do not contain dairy themselves.  If someone is severely allergic and cannot even eat product processed in a plant with dairy products, then I recommend mini Oreos instead (found with the snack foods))

**NOTE:  I still haven't found a dairy free icing recipe that I totally love, so I usually just buy store bought frosting when I'm cooking for someone with allergies.  Many varieties of Pillsbury frostings do not contain any dairy, including vanilla, buttercream, and cream cheese (Yes, I find it  ironic and somewhat humorous that they have the word "cream" in the title and do not contain any milk products at all).

Directions: Frost cupcakes with white frosting.  Top each cupcake with one Oreo and three Junior Mints to resemble a paw print. 


(I’m totally in love with my Cupcake Courier !  My mom got it for me for Christmas and I highly recommend it for anyone who regularly brings cupcakes to activities!) 

Enjoy! 


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