Orange Chicken Noodles

After making my very tasty, tangy, chocolaty sweet treats last week - Chocolate Orange Squares - I had a spare orange in the fridge that needed using. Therefore, I decided to use it to make a quick stir fry. The tangy orange zest, when combined with the sweet orange juice and a little agave nectar or honey, gives the chicken and vegetables delicious flavour and taste.

I used loads of nutritious and low calorie vegetables (onion, celery, green peppers, mushrooms, broccoli) as well as courgette which I spiralized. This meant I only used 2 servings of brown rice noodles (4oz) instead of 4 which also resulted in the dish not being just a load of noodles (carbs) with a little bit of veg mixed in. The brown rice noodles are fibrous and very filling - check out my recent Curried Ginger Chicken Noodles dish for another fast and flavourful recipe.

It helps if the chicken breast is already cooked and shredded as it reduces the amount of prep and cooking time significantly. For a lighter lunch, just omit the noodles and add more sprialized courgette.

This dish is packed with vitamin C, not only from the orange but the broccoli and green peppers. I read more about this on the U,S. National Library of Medicine website. As it's a water soluble vitamin, and our bodies can't make vitamin C on its own, we need an ongoing supply in our diet. Vitamin C is needed for growth and repair, as well as the absorption of iron.

Lots of people associate vitamin C, particularly from citrus fruits, as a remedy for preventing colds. However, research doesn't really support this. It might slightly shorten the length of time people feel sick.

The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for adult men is 90mg/day, and for adult women it's 75mg/day. Therefore it's best to eat plenty of fresh vegetables and fruits, paying close attention to the Top 10 Foods with the Highest Amounts of Vitamin C.

This dish contains three of the top 10:
100g broccoli - 89.2mg
100g green peppers - 80.4mg
100g orange - 53.2mg

Orange Chicken Noodles
Makes 4

Ingredients:
- 112g / 4oz brown rice noodles
- 1 orange, zest and juiced
- 140g / 5oz onion, chopped
- 140g / 5oz mushroom, chopped
- 140g / 5oz pepper, chopped
- 56g / 2oz celery chopped
- 170g / 60z broccoli, chopped
- 8g / 1tbsp corn starch
- 30ml / 2tbsp water
- 170g / 6oz chicken breast, cooked and shredded
- 20g / 1tbsp agave nectar OR honey
- 280g / 10oz courgette, spiralized, julienne or grated

Method:

• Soak the noodles in boiling water for 5 minutes to soften, then rinse and drain. Set aside.
• Meanwhile, zest and juice the orange.
• In a wok, sprayed with cooking spray, cook the online, mushroom, pepper, celery and broccoli for 5 minutes, stirring to spread the heat evenly around the wok and adding a splash of water if the veg begins to stick.
• Whisk the 2tbsp water into the corn starch and then add it to the wok, along with the shredded chicken, orange zest, juice and agave nectar (or honey).
• Stir for 2-3 minutes and then add in the courgette noodles.
• Cook for another couple of minutes and then serve on top of the rice noodles. ENJOY!

Nutritional Information:

Curried Ginger Chicken Noodles

A super fast and delicious meal. The great thing about brown rice noodles is that they only take a few minutes to cook and are a great source of fibre, offering plenty of carbs and satiety. The combination of curry and ginger powder gives great natural flavour to the chicken and rice noodles - much healthier and just as quick as some of those packets of instant ramen noodles with very salty seasoning and artificial flavours.

I added some celery and frozen peas to the chicken and noodles but mushrooms would taste great too. Prawns would also be a tasty alternative to chicken.

Curried Ginger Chicken Noodles
Makes 2

Ingredients:
- 112g / 4oz rice noodles
- 110g / 4oz onion, chopped
- 110g / 4oz / 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 85g / 3oz peas,
- 1tbsp curry powder
- 1tsp ground ginger
- 240ml / 8floz chicken broth, reduced sodium
- 170g / 6oz chicken, cooked and shredded (I use canned chicken breast)
- 15ml / 1tbsp soy sauce, light
- 8g / 1tbsp corn starch
- 30ml / 2tbsp water

Method:

• Soak the noodles in boiling water for 5 minutes to soften, then rinse and drain. Set aside.
• Meanwhile, in a pan sprayed with cooking spray, cook the onion, celery and peas for a couple of minutes.
• Stir in the curry powder and ginger and cook for another couple of minutes.
• Add the broth, cooked chicken and soy sauce.
• Bring to boil and simmer for 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, whisk together the cornstarch and water and then pour into the pan.
• Add the cooked noodles and stir to combine all ingredients. ENJOY!

Nutritional Information:

Konaberry Kelp Noodles with Walnut Pesto

Further to my previous konaberry kelp noodle recipe, this tasty dish uses walnuts and fresh basil leaves to make a great pesto - perfect for lunch, especially when on-the-go. It's really quick to make - just blend the ingredients - with the noodles absorbing the pesto and softening if left to marinade for 20-30 minutes.

The noodles are a great alternative to rice noodles, soba or pasta. They are significantly lower in calories too - only 12 calories for a 110g/4oz serving. As no cooking is required, they just need to be rinsed, drained and then mixed into the sauce or dish of choice.

There's a large serving of fats in this dish - from the walnuts and olive oil - but these healthy fats are much better than fats from meat and diary sources. I've been reading about the health benefits of basil and discovered it is rich in vitamin A, vitamin K, vitamin C, magnesium, iron, potassium, and calcium. Research also indicated that it may be useful in treating  arthritis and inflammatory bowel diseases due to its high quantities of (E)-beta-caryophyllene (BCP).

Konaberry Kelp Noodles with Walnut Pesto
Makes 2

Ingredients:
- 45g / 1.5 oz walnuts
- 24g / 1cup basil leaves, fresh
- 2 cloves garlic
- 60ml / 4tbsp lemon juice
- 15ml / 1tbsp olive oil
- 335g / 12oz konaberry kelp noodles, rinsed and drained

Method:

• In a food processor, combine the walnuts, basil, garlic, lemon juice and olive oil and blend until a smooth pesto is formed.
• Stir the pesto into the kelp noodles.
• Let the noodles marinade in the the pesto sauce for 20-30 minutes for softer noodles, if desired. ENJOY!

Nutritional Information:

Konaberry Kelp Noodles with Pineapple Vinaigrette

This is a great dish for summer and a nice alternative to kale or spinach based salads. I often eat it for lunch or as an on-the-go snack as it can be eaten straight out of the container. For lunch I add a little chicken or chopped vegetables.

Before making this recipe I'd never heard of Konaberry Kelp Noodles. From the back of the noodle packet (from the Sea Tangle Noodle Company), I read that Konaberry is the fruit that surrounds and protects the coffee bean, grown in Kona, Hawaii. What's amazing to discover is that it's a powerful antioxidant and rich in many vitamins and minerals. Konaberry has 60 times more antioxidants than pomegranates and 100 times more than blueberries.

The noodles are very low in calories - only 12 calories for a 112g / 4oz serving. There's not much nutritional substance to them but when combined with the pineapple vinaigrette, there's fats (from the olive oil), sodium from the soy sauce and carbohydrates (mostly simple carbs) from the pineapple.

I'd previously eaten shirataki noodles - made from the root of the konnayku plant which is also low in calories.
Similar to tofu, both kinds of noodles absorb the flavours of any sauce or spices, making them very versatile and a perfect addition to a dish or a lighter alternative to pasta and rice.

Konaberry Kelp Noodles with Pineapple Vinaigrette
Makes 3

Ingredients:
- 335g / 12oz konaberry kelp noodles, rinsed and drained
- 225g / 8oz pineapple chunks
- 45ml /3tbsp olive oil
- 45ml /3tbsp soy sauce, light
- 40g / 1.4oz onion, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, chopped

Method:

• Blend all the ingredients (except noodles) in a food processor.
• In a bowl, pour the vinaigrette over the noodles and mix to combine.
• Let sit for 10-20 minutes for softer noodles, if desired.
• Serve plain or add chicken and/or chopped vegetables. ENJOY!

Nutritional Information: