Summery Orange Chicken & Steamed Broccoli: in the Microwave

Whether you have Celiac Disease or not, are single, married, have kids, or none, work full-time, part-time, are kitchen saavy or completely lost when it comes to cooking: you will LOVE this post!

I'd be willing to bet that you've had (or always have) those days that are jam-packed with work, meetings, workouts, family, friends, etc. (none of which are bad!) that you finally get home and realize you have nothing together for dinner. After long days of work and travel, I completely empathize with the “wish I could pull my car through a McDonalds right now!” But, with Celiac you really don’t have that option, at least not any safe options other than maybe a package of apples or a packet of mayonnaise (McDonalds honestly has that listed on their gluten-free available menu items, makes me laugh every time!). 

During these boughts of desperation, I often turn to my favorite gluten-free foodie blogs for ideas and recipes; but lets face it, while those meals and recipes are delicious and look awesome, some of them require a lot of work and preparation! When I see a recipe with more than 8 ingredients (and 4 of them require a trip to the "specialty" grocery store) it adds to the stress of my already-over-worked day.

Great tasting and nice looking food does not have to be a difficult, even though with gluten-free it sometimes feels that way.  I learned one of the most valuable food lessons from my grandma (she was a caterer and cake maker…I know, ironic), “Great food doesn’t have to be fussy!” she’d always say. She was right, and healthy gluten-free food is no exception!

Now, keep an open mind here: I know the word “microwave” is a loaded term that draws sneers from people, especially in my line of work, but the microwave is a completely prized posession in my kitchen, and is one of the most under-utilized appliances.  Let me be clear, I am not encouraging you to serve your family over-priced sodium-packed already-assembled frozen meals, I am talking about utilizing a piece of kitchen artillery that sits in almost every kitchen (even those of the most novice cook) in order to put together a healthy and balanced home-cooked meal in a pinch; now doesn’t that sound better than the fast-food alternative?

I use my microwave all the time to prepare full meals, and I’m pretty sure even the most critical foodie would sing their praises! Homemade microwave meals are great if you’re cooking for one or two, and can even be adjusted easily to feed four or more (I’ve thrown some of my homemade microwave meals together in a pinch when friends have been in our neighborhood and popped-in!). 

I look forward to sharing many of my favorite microwave meals with you, but for starters try this Summery Orange Chicken and Steamed Broccoli; Its healthy, balanced and (best of all) gluten-free. It was completely prepared in the microwave, and took me 20 minutes from start to finish, you can’t beat that! It’s a light-fare dinner that’s low in calories (about 230 calories for one serving!) but high in protein, vitamins and minerals.  The citrus sauce is perfect for a summer dinner (plus you won't have to heat up the whole kitchen with the oven during those muggy summer nights), you’ll be surprised how subtle and light the orange sauce turns out.  Try it for yourself and see. Enjoy!


INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
1 1/2 tsp. cornstarch (I use Clabber Girl)
1 1/2 tsp. instant chicken bouillon granules (Since our diet is very low in sodium, I don't mind using bouillon in recipes every once in a while. When I do, I use HerbOx...no MSG. If you are on a sodium restricted diet you should be able to find low/no sodium granules.)
1/8 tsp. garlic powder (I use McCormick)
2 chicken boneless, skinless breasts
orange slices to make the plate look nice

1-2 cups frozen broccoli (actually for me, its more like 3-4 cups! Vegetables are 'unlimited' at my table, especially if their frozen and more affordable)

1. In a spouted glass measuring cup (or any other microwave safe dish that won't melt or spark in the microwave), stir together orange juice, cornstarch, bouillon granules, and garlic powder. Microwave, uncovered, for about 3 minutes, making sure to stir every minute or so(you will see the mixture start to bubble and thicken).

2. Arrange chicken in a microwave safe dish (I used a tart dish, you can use a pie dish or any other dish that won't melt or spark in the microwave). I put a couple diagonal slices on the top of each chicken breast to fancy it up a bit :) Pour the orange juice mixture from the spouted measuring cup over the chicken. Cover the dish with a piece of plastic wrap; do not completely seal the edges to allow for some ventilation.

3. Microwave for 5-7 minutes, turning each piece of chicken (rotating the dish if necessary) once half-way through cooking.

4. For the broccoli: in a medium size microwave safe bowl put 1-2 cups of frozen broccoli.  Add 2-4 tablespoons of water to the bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Microwave for 5-7 minutes, then drain excess water from the bowl.

4. To serve: spoon some of the citrus sauce onto a plate, add one chicken breast and three big spoonfuls of broccoli (I usually add a pinch of salt, here, to the chicken and the broccoli). I put a few orange slices on the plate for more color and a boost of vitamin C!

 One Serving of Summery Orange Chicken & Steamed Broccoli

Be well,

Lacey