Anyone Craving Chinese Food!?

I know it's not Halloween yet... despite the influx of orange and black at the craft store... but here is a scary fact: the average "Chinese-American" meal ranges from 1,300-2,000 calories WITHOUT egg rolls.  Quite frankly, I think it is worth every ounce of grease and sodium.  However, if you like Chinese or any other kind of Asian food as much as I do, you probably don't want to be eating take out several times a week. Luckily, my mother has discovered a delightful hoisin chicken recipe that when paired with the following salad will fulfill your Chinese food craving without having to splurge!

Hoisin Chicken with Mandarin Salad

HOISIN CHICKEN

INGREDIENTS:
Chicken Breasts (16 oz or 4 pieces)
Hoisin Sauce (2 tbsp.)
No Sugar Added Ketchup (1 tbsp.)
Garlic, chopped (2 cloves or 2 tsp.)
Orange Juice (1tbsp.)
Red Pepper flakes (1/2 tsp.)
Fresh Parsley (1tbsp. chopped)
Garlic Powder (1/2 tsp.)
Whole Wheat Flour (2 tbsp.)***
Sesame Seeds

***If you need a gluten free recipe replace whole wheat flour with cornstarch or rice flour.

METHOD:
(1) Mix Flour, Parsley, Red Pepper and Garlic Powder in a small bowl.
(2) Mix hoisin sauce, ketchup, orange juice and chopped garlic in a small bowl and set aside.
(3) Spray a skillet w/Pam and put on Med/High heat
(4) Drag chicken (both sides) through flour and place on one side of a skillet that has been sprayed with PAM or similar cooking oil for 4 minutes
(5) Flip chicken to cook the other side and smother with sauce.  Try to keep the sauce on the chicken because it will caramelize and turn black on the skillet.  Cook for another 4-6 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
(6) Sprinkle sesame seeds on top of chicken

STATS:
Serves: 4
Calories: 170
Fat: 3g
Carbs: 12g
Protein: 27g
Iron: 1%
Calcium: 2%

MANDARIN SALAD

INGREDIENTS:

Mixed Greens or Spinach (6 cups)

Cucumber (1)

Mandarin Oranges, drained (1 cup)

Sweet Onion (1/2 - try to get Walla Walla Sweet!)

Edamame (1/2 cup)

Low Sodium Soy Sauce (3 tbsp.)

Orange Juice (1 tbsp.)

Sesame Oil (1 tsp.)

Rice Vinegar (6 tbsp.)

Ginger Puree (2 tsp.)

Garlic Powder (2 tsp.)

Red Pepper Flakes (1/2 tsp.)

Splenda Brown Sugar Blend (1/2 tsp.)

METHOD:

(1) Create salad by chopping onion and cucumber and combining with mixed greens, drained mandarin oranges and rinsed edamame.  

(2) Create dressing by mixing soy sauce, orange juice, sesame oil, rice vinegar, ginger, garlic, red pepper and splenda in salad dressing shaker or a small bowl.

*** Wait to dress salad until you serve, otherwise it gets really soggy!

STATS:

Serves: 4

Calories: 157

Fat: 3g

Carbs: 22g

Protein: 6g

Iron: 22%

Calcium: 12%

FULL MEAL DEAL 

Serve "family style" or serve one chicken breast on 1/4 of salad with dressing drizzled on greens.

STATS: 

Serves: 4, Calories: 327, Fat: 6g, Carbs: 34g, Protein: 33g, Iron: 23%, Calcium: 14%