Cooking with Collins - Orange Chicken w/ Sesame Noodles
What’s up, Fam!
This recipe is a great example of what the CSG culinary team strives for, it's both NUTRITIOUS & DELICIOUS! The orange chicken has great flavor, and is an excellent source of protein. The sesame noodle, with organic veggies and gluten free brown rice pasta, contains great sources of health-boosting nutrients - fiber, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and omegas. This anti-inflammatory whole foods recipe is not only delicious, but it also provides you an opportunity to “sharpen” your cooking skills. Below the recipe, I’ve included some chef’s tips to help.
Orange Chicken Tenderloins w/ Sesame Noodle Salad
Prep Time: 30 Min | Cook Time: 30 Min | Servings: 6-8
“Mise En Place”
INGREDIENTS
For The Orange Chicken
3 # Chicken Tenderloins
1 Orange, Zested & Juiced
½ C Coconut Aminos *Substitute w/ Soy Sauce
2 TB Sesame Oil
2 TB Honey
1 TB Dried Tarragon
1 TS Garlic Powder
1 TS Sriracha or Garlic Chili Sauce
For The Sesame Noodle Salad
1 # Brown Rice Pasta (GF) *Substitute w/ Rice Noodles, Angel Hair, or Spaghetti
2 Bulbs Garlic, Minced
⅓ C Coconut Aminos *Substitute w/ Soy Sauce
⅓ C Coconut Teriyaki or Garlic Sauce *Substitute w/ Regular Teriyaki Sauce
2 TB Sesame Oil
2 TB Organic Rice Vinegar
2 TB Honey
1 TB Sriracha or Garlic Chili Sauce
4 TB Sesame Seeds *Black, White, or Mixture
2 C Organic Broccoli, Small Florets
½ C Organic Shredded Carrots
1 C Organic Green Onions
Ice Bath - Large Bowl of Water and Ice
DIRECTIONS
1) Put a large stockpot, filled with salted water, on the stove on high heat.
2) While the water comes to a boil, let's make the chicken marinade. In a bowl, combine the orange zest and juice, coconut aminos, sesame oil, honey, tarragon, garlic powder, sriracha, and whisk until combined. Mix in the chicken tenderloins, cover, and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes, up to 4 hours.
3) While the chicken marinades, cook the brown rice pasta according to the package instructions.
4) In another bowl, combine the minced garlic, coconut aminos, teriyaki, sesame oil, rice vinegar, honey, sriracha, and sesame seeds, and whisk until combined. Then add in the broccoli florets, shredded carrots, and green onions. Mix and set aside.
Ice Bath
5) When the pasta is finished, drain in a colander, and add to the ice bath. Let sit and stir for about a minute, then drain again, removing any leftover chunks of ice, and shaking off as much excess water as possible. Then add the noodles to the sesame dressing. Stir, cover, and refrigerate until you're ready to serve.
6) For the chicken, you can cook however you like. Bake/roast, pan fry, but I prefer grill! Preheat your grill to medium high heat, about 350º. Grill tenderloins for about 3-4 minutes per side. Once finished, remove from heat, let rest, then serve with the sesame noodle salad. Enjoy!
“The secret ingredient used to make good food, have amazing fellowship, and build community is LOVE. Add it to all that you do!”
- Chef Collins
Chefs Tips
When I was being trained as a chef, there was this phrase that was drilled into our minds. I want to introduce you to the chef term - “Mise En Place.” It’s a French phrase that means “everything in its place.” It refers to the setup required before cooking begins. And it’s not just a phrase for being organized and ready, but a state of mind that a chef should have. This is one of the key’s to a professional chef’s success. When your area is clean, ingredients are prepped and organized, and game-plan in place, then you’re ready to go and set up for success! So before you get started, get your “mise” together.
When cooking protein, once you remove it from a heat source, the meat does what's called “carryover cooking.” Depending on the heat source, and the size/thickness of your meat, it can continue to cook for an additonal 5º - 15º. The safe internal temperature for chicken is 165º. Grilled chicken usually carries over about 5-10º. So to make juicy tender chicken, I use a thermometer and cook it until it reaches 155-160º. I let it rest, covered, for about 10 minutes. Then enjoy!