Rec: Chicken Naranja

Naranja is Spanish for orange, so this is simply Chicken with Oranges. But Chicken Naranja sounds better because the recipe calls for orange juice, and somehow Chicken with Orange Juice just doesn't sound as tasty. This is quick to prepare and is tasty. I found it in a magazine twenty years ago, credited to Laura Alvarez of San Francisco. This recipe serves two, but can easily be doubled. Any sort of rice makes a nice side dish for this, and looks especially good placed on a bed of white rice. Add a green salad for a complete dinner.

Any preferred pieces of chicken may be used to make this. I prefer the lower calorie option of boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Any type of orange juice may be used, but I like it best with freshly squeezed orange juice. Some ingredients can be substituted if you don't have the called for ones on hand, such as crystallized ginger for fresh ginger, frozen orange juice instead of fresh, celery seed instead of fresh celery, and of course the garnish can be dropped. Also, you can add
a couple of drops each of red and yellow food coloring to get a more orangey color.

Chicken Naranja

Two chicken breasts

1/2 cup orange juice

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/6 cup packed brown sugar

10 slices fresh ginger root

1 cup sliced celery

1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 1/4 cup water

Orange slices and fresh parsley for garnish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Arrange the chicken in a baking dish, skin side up if using chicken with skin. Mix the orange juice, soy sauce and brown sugar and pour over the chicken. Sprinkle the ginger root and celery on and around the chicken. Bake for about 15 minutes. Remove the chicken from the baking dish and stir in the cornstarch mixture. Replace the chicken breasts and bake about 10 minutes longer until the chicken is tender and the sauce has thickened. Garnish with the orange slices and parsley to serve.