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Maple Pecan Blondies

Here’s a blondie recipe that I have made many times!  Mine are never as gooey as Gemma’s and that’s probably because I over-bake them. I should keep a better eye on them next time. I like to brown the butter first but it’s not necessary. Enjoy!  Maple Pecan Blondies Makes 9-12 servings Original recipe from Bigger Bolder Baking Ingredients ¾ cup butter, melted or browned 1¼ cups dark brown sugar ½ cup maple syrup 1 large egg  2 teaspoons vanilla 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 cups all-purpose flour ¼ teaspoon baking soda I ¼ cups pecans, toasted and chopped  Directions   Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and line a 9x13” baking pan with parchment. Gemma used 8x8 but I like my bars thinner. Whisk together the butter, brown sugar, maple syrup, egg, vanilla, and salt. Stir in the flour and baking soda just until combined.  Stir in the pecans. Pour mixture into prepared pan and bake for 30-35 minutes. They middle should be slightly jiggly but they still taste yummy if you over-bake them. Allow to co

Healthier Orange Chicken

The first time I made this recipe I didn't have orange marmalade so I used Apricot jam instead. I figured it would give me a kind of sweet and sour flavour. It was really yummy! And it doesn't really get any easier either! The second time I used orange marmalade and of course it tasted more like orange. Love it! I also cut open a blood orange by accident, but it worked just as well.

The only real issue I had with this recipe is that it tells you to de-glaze the pan with vinegar. BIG mistake. My entire place smelled like fried vinegar for hours and it was not pleasant. Also, it splattered all over my stove and floor. I had to mop up after. The second time I got smart. I would recommend de-glazing the pan with orange juice or a bit of water instead. I also took the pan off the heat for a minute to let it cool slightly, as I wanted to try and avoid a second round of splattering and mopping.

Above: And here it is with the marmalade  Had I let it cook a minute longer the sauce would have been slightly stickier.

Above: Here it is with the apricot jam.

Healthier Orange Chicken
Makes 4 Servings

Ingredients
  • 16oz boneless skinless chicken breast, cubed
  • 1/4 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon avocado oil
  • 4 tablespoons orange marmalade (or apricot jam)
  • 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
  • Sriracha or other hot sauce (or chili flakes) to taste
  • juice of 1 orange (about 1/3 cup), or 1/3 cup water/broth
  • 2 tablespoons rice vinegar (not seasoned, check the label)
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • ½ teaspoon fresh grated ginger
Directions
  1. Coat the chicken pieces in flour and tap off any excess. Heat the oil in a non-stick pan over medium high heat..
  2. Place the chicken pieces into the pan and fry on all sides until golden, then transfer them to a plate. The pan may seem like it's getting dry, but don't worry, nothing bad will happen. The chicken doesn't necessarily have to be cooked through at this point.
  3. You can mix the sauce ingredients while the chicken is cooking. Mix the marmalade, soy sauce, chili sauce, orange juice and vinegar together and set aside.
  4. Once the chicken is removed from the pan, add the garlic and ginger and cook for a few seconds. You can add a touch more oil if needed.
  5. Remove the pan from the heat for just a minute (I already told you I learned my lesson the first time), then add a bit of orange juice or water to the pan. Just a tablespoon or two should do. Return the pan to the heat and scrape all the bits off the bottom of the pan with a wooden spatula.
  6. Add the sauce mixture to the pan and let it simmer for a minute or two, then add the chicken back to the pan. Don’t worry, another few minutes and the sauce will thicken nicely. The chicken will finish cooking if it’s still a bit pink inside.
  7. Serve with steamed rice.

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