Smart Meals: Mandarin Orange Chicken
Common Ground has partnered with OSF Healthcare to offer their Smart Meals class series designed for those 55 or older! Each month, we host a free in-person class to demonstrate how to make a new Smart Meal recipe.
Smart Meals is a program designed to provide awareness and education on buying affordable, healthy foods that can be easily prepared at home. OSF dieticians have created Smart Meal Kits with shelf-stable ingredients that can be cooked into a full meal or supplemented with additional ingredients. Each recipe is uniquely created by a registered OSF dietitian and is high in fiber and low in fat and sodium.
This recipe is for Mandarin Orange Chicken made with chicken breast, brown rice, and a creamy chile peanut butter sauce. Additional fresh options include fresh ginger, green onion, steamed broccoli, steamed bok choy, sesame seeds, and red bell pepper. Also included is a recipe for a marinated cucumber salad!
Mandarin Orange Chicken
| Calories | 271 |
| Fat | 7 grams |
| Cholesterol | 52 milligrams |
| Sodium | 406 milligrams |
| Carbohydrates | 34 milligrams |
| Fiber | 4 grams |
| Protein | 18 grams |
- Drain the liquid from the mandarin oranges into a medium saucepan.
- Add the green chilies and peanut butter; stir or whisk until well mixed.
- Drain the chicken and flake with a fork. Add the mandarin oranges, drained chicken, and cooked brown rice to the saucepan.
- Cook on medium heat for 15 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Reduce heat to low. Season to taste as desired. Garnish with additional toppings, if desired.
- Stuff in a whole grain pita pocket, or roll it in a tortilla
- Make it into a soup by adding 2 cups of unsalted chicken stock or broth
- Green Chilies - They add a little heat to a recipe. That heat comes from a chemical called capsaicin, which has anti-inflammatory properties known to aid in reducing joint pain as well as help prevent inflammation associated with heart disease and high blood pressure.
- Oranges - Both the smell and taste can perk you up! Oranges have a wealth of health-promoting nutrients like vitamin C to boost your immune system, potassium and magnesium for your heart and blood pressure, and soluble fiber to protect against certain diseases.
- Nut Butters - The most familiar to us is peanut butter, however, you can find almond butter, cashew butter, and hazelnut butter - just to name a few. Nut butters contain a number of important nutrients, including protein, healthy fats, fiber, vitamins, minerals, and other plant chemicals.
- Brown Rice - Fiber-packed and nutrient-dense brown rice helps fill you up while being relatively low in calories. It is a rich source of minerals and nutrients that can help prevent cardiovascular diseases, colon cancer, and Type-2 diabetes. A one-cup serving provides 88% of your daily requirement for manganese, a powerful antioxidant essential for a healthy nervous system. Manufacturers offer a variety of quick cook options ranging from 10 minute boil in the bag to pre-cooked pouches that go from the microwave to the table in a matter of seconds.
- Chicken - It has long been a good protein source, as well as an excellent option for health-conscious meat-eaters who are interested in a lower-fat meat choice. The white meat of the chicken is lower in saturated fat than dark meat. Chicken is healthier when eaten without the skin and visible fat.
Marinated Cucumber Salad
| Calories | 241 |
| Fat | 19 grams |
| Cholesterol | 0 milligrams |
| Sodium | 880 milligrams |
| Carbohydrates | 14 grams |
| Fiber | 2 grams |
| Protein | 2 grams |
- In a large bowl, add the rice wine vinegar, sugar, olive oil, and toasted sesame oil. Whisk well to combine.
- Peel the ginger, and use a box grater or microplane to finely grate the ginger. Add it to the bowl along with salt and garlic.
- Peel the cucumbers, then cut in half lengthwise. Slice at an angle into 1/4-inch slices.
- Add to the bowl, along with the sesame seeds and cilantro. Mix well and let sit for at least 10 minutes.