Lately I have been all about the sauces! Most nights Danny and I tend to make “bowl meals” where we pick a protein, complex carb or starchy veggie, and lots of other non-starchy vegetables, and then use a sauce to tie it all together. Not going to lie that most of the time my “sauce” is really just drizzled tahini or some olive oil mixed with lemon and spices/herbs, otherwise I’m picking up a convenient jarred condiment.

What I dislike about these condiments sometimes though is that they can be bogged down with extra salt and sugar and they often use oils, like palm or canola, that I’m not a fan of. Plus, when I turn to the ingredient list, aside from the things added as preservatives, the components are actually things I already have at home and so could likely whip up this sauce for myself! So, when I set out to make a stir fry the other night, I decided that rather than buying my go-to Asian sauce, I was going to make up a simple orange sesame sauce on my own.

The result? Actually VERY easy and worthwhile! I was able to make just the amount I needed, plus got to munch on the leftover orange insides (anyone else do this after it’s squeezed? Just me?). It was the perfect finishing sauce to this balanced bowl.

Some other notes for this recipe…

• if you want to use white or brown rice instead of cauliflower rice go for it

• chicken was my choice this night, but shrimp, beef cubes, or seared tofu would also work well

• the veggies could honestly be whatever you have in your fridge or freezer

Sesame Orange Chicken Stir Fry– serves 2

Ingredients

• 1/2 medium head of cauliflower, roughly chopped

• 2 tbsp avocado oil

• 2 cups sugar snap or snow peas, whole or cut in half

• 1 yellow bell pepper, sliced

• 2 4 oz. chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes

• Sauce- 1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice, 2 tbsp honey, 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tsp ginger garlic paste, 1 tsp cornstarch or arrowroot starch

• Garnish- red pepper flake, toasted sesame seeds

Directions

1. Place roughly chopped cauliflower in the bowl of a large food processor. Pulse until a semi-fine “rice” texture is achieved. Set aside.

2. In a small bowl, mix together the ingredients for the sauce. Make sure the starch is completely dissolved. Set aside for later.

3. Heat the avocado oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the peas and peppers and saute for 5-7 minutes until starting to soften and blister. Add the chopped chicken and cook through, about 7 minutes, until no longer pink inside.

4. Add the cauliflower rice to the pan and mix everything together. Pour the sauce over everything and let simmer for 2-3 minutes.

5. Serve immediately with red pepper flake and sesame seeds to your liking.