Orange Chicken and Lemon Tilapia

The Orange Chicken didn't turn out exactly how I'd imagined, but it was yummy :)  I found a Japanese blend of frozen veggies, I had some oranges on hand from Thanksgiving, and I went to town.
one or two oranges
a pound of diced chicken
soy sauce
stir-fry veggies - bean sprouts, onion, cauliflower, carrots, mushrooms, whatever.
a jar of baby food
prepared white rice - I do mine in a rice cooker.

Saute the veggies in some vegetable oil.  When most of the liquid has evaporated, add one or two tablespoons of soy sauce, cook for a minute and set aside.

Season the chicken with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and orange zest.  Saute in vegetable oil until completely cooked through, then add the juice of one orange.  Cook for a minute and add some soy sauce.  Just use your own judgement for the measurements; you know what you like.  The chicken should be a pretty brown color now, and should taste slightly sweet and salty.

Put a scoop of rice on a plate, top with veggies, and then with chicken.  Serve with a slice of orange.


The next night's meal was also good and very different.  I had some frozen spinach and fish fillets on hand, but not a lot of time because my husband was going to be home late so I had the girls under my feet.  In times like these it's better to use the oven.  Lemon Butter Tilapia:

4 tilapia fillets
one lemon
three tablespoons butter
one bag or box frozen spinach (if it's in a box, you'll need to defrost and drain first)
couscous, any flavor.  I use Near East brand.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat your oven to 350.  Season one side of the fish with salt and pepper and place the fish on the paper, seasoned side down.  Season the other side with salt, pepper, and lemon zest, then squirt lemon juice all over the fillets.  Just try not to wash off all the seasoning.  Divide half a tablespoon of butter into four pieces and place the pieces on top of one fillet so they will melt evenly over the fish.  Do the same for each fillet, using 2 tablespoons total.  When your oven is hot, put the fish in it.  It should take about ten minutes, and then it will slide right off the parchment paper.  White fish should be white all the way through and a little flaky when fully cooked, but not dry.

Prepare the couscous as directed:  Bring 1 1/4 cups of water to a boil.  Add the couscous and seasoning packet, cover and remove from heat.  Let sit five minutes, then fluff with a fork.

Melt the remaining tablespoon of butter in a skillet and add the spinach.  Sautee until warm and season with salt and pepper.

Put a scoop of couscous in the middle of a dinner plate.  Top with a scoop of spinach, and then a fillet of fish.  Super yummy :)  We like a lot of lemon and a lot of pepper, but of course you can use less according to your tastes.