Orange-Ginger Skillet 'Chicken'

The 'chicken' in the frozen vegan buffalo wings from Gardein is the perfect stand in for chicken breast tenders in this recipe - simply discard the sauce that comes packaged separately, or save it for another use.

I faced the same dilemma tonight as I did with my Beef Curry with Toasted Spices a few weeks back - that is, whether or not it is safe to thaw Gardein and marinate ahead of time. To play it safe, I skipped the marinating step, and simply combined the still-frozen 'chicken' with the marinating ingredients just before cooking.

To make the marinade, combine 1/2 cup chopped orange sections, 1/4 cup orange juice, 2 tablespoons chopped green onions, 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce, 1 and 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 and 1/2 teaspoons agave nectar (in place of honey), 1 teaspoon grated and peeled fresh ginger, and 1/2 tsp. ground coriander in a large bowl.

Add 12 ounces of Gardein 'buffalo wing' chicken - about 16 chicken pieces; toss to combine, then add to a large skillet heated over medium-high heat. Cook for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook 8 ounces of rotini pasta according to package directions. Tonight I opted for the spelt rotini from VitaSpelt for an extra nutrition boost over wheat pasta.

Add 4 cups of the cooked rotini to the skillet and cook a final 5 minutes. You'll have 3 servings of about 2 cups and 480 calories each.

Note: although you can make this recipe at home, as I did, it also was recommended for camping! Bring the marinade ingredients along in a zip-top plastic bag, and pack the frozen 'chicken' and the cooked pasta separately. Cook according to the same directions as above, in a cast-iron skillet over hot coals at the campsite!

Cost:
orange $1.18
green onions $0.99
lemon juice $2.99
agave nectar $4.99
ginger $0.40
rotini $2.00