Recipe: Paleo-Friendly Chinese Flavors

If there's one thing in life that can make me throw my Paleo lifestyle right out the window without even thinking, it's Chinese food. I think part of it is because a lot of the time, this cuisine presents itself either in buffet or delivery form, and honestly, who can say no to that? But, if there's one thing in life that can make me gain four pounds overnight and wake up with a wicked headache, it's also Chinese food. Too much hidden sugar, too much soy sauce, too many noodles.

What's a girl to do?

Sometimes, you just have to work with what you've got. And if you're lucky, you've got ginger.

This recipe is so good that when you're done, you'll probably cut up another orange to soak up anything left in the pan.

Don't believe me?

Let's just get to it, then.

Ginger-Orange Chicken

served with Garlic-Sesame Asparagus

Ingredients:

for the chicken

1 package chicken breasts

2 juicy oranges

1 clove garlic

salt, pepper

ginger root

for the asparagus

1 bunch asparagus

2-3 teaspoons sesame oil

2-3 cloves garlic

sesame seeds

Make the chicken

1. In a bowl, pour the juice of one orange over chicken breasts. Season with salt, pepper, and grated ginger. Let it marinade for as little or as long as you'd like. (I did this on a whim the first time, so they only marinated long enough for me to heat up the pan.)

2. Place the marinated chicken breasts in a hot pan. Pour contents of the bowl over them. Grate a little more fresh ginger and let it simmer in the sauce.

This is the moment when I knew I was doing something right.

3. Once the chicken has cooked, squeeze half of another orange over them and stir around.

4. Take the chicken out and cut into strips. Throw them back in the pan to ensure that all sides of the chicken are coated with sauce. Plate them, garnish with a slice of orange, and serve with garlic-sesame asparagus.