Orange Chicken (similar to Panda Express)

I'm not really a very adventurous eater. I like to stick with what looks safe & has ingredients that I know. This strategy doesn't always work well when you're out for Chinese food!! LOL Thankfully when I'm craving it I know I can head over to Panda Express & get my happy little serving of sweet/heat with their orange chicken (and yes, I know - calling Panda Chinese food is like calling Taco Bell authentic Mexican food! I realize that - but I like it & it makes me happy so for my purposes, it's Chinese food!!! LOL) I was so delighted to find a recipe to try it out at home! I will say that this recipe came out with a stronger orange flavor than I get at PE but I think that was mostly my fault - I didn't measure the orange zest & I think I just put too much. It was still delicious. And even if you think you don't like heat, you *must* add just a pinch of the red pepper flakes to get any sort of heat out of this dish. Just do it - you'll love it!

The ingredient list is a little long - but don't get overwhelmed! It goes quick & easily.


Diced raw chicken breast, flour, salt, pepper, an egg, water, orange juice, lemon juice, rice vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar, orange zest, ginger, garlic, green onion, corn starch & red pepper flakes - and enough oil to fry up the chicken pieces. Whew!

First get your oil heated in a large pan or wok (375 if you have a temp dial) - I did medium/high heat. Closer to medium, though.

Mix your flour, salt & pepper in a dish. Crack your egg & scramble it with a fork.


Dip the raw chicken in the egg then into the flour mixture & then plop it right into the hot oil.

Now that we've made this once, I think next time we'll put the flour mixture in a gallon zip lock bag. Then dip all the chicken in the egg at once, stirring to coat & then toss it all into the bag & give it a good shake.


Cook it 'til it's done (I did it in 3 batches). I can't really say "10 minutes" because it really depends on how big your cut your chunks & how hot your oil is. Just get it cooked through. Pull a test piece & cut into it if you need to.


While that is going we're gonna simmer up our sauce. Get your garlic & ginger diced up & zest your orange.


In a sauce pan mix water, orange juice, lemon juice, rice vinegar & soy sauce. Allow it to heat through for a few minutes then add the ginger, garlic, zest, green onions & brown sugar.



Bring it to a boil over medium heat. In the meantime, blend your cornstarch & water in a separate dish & then add it to the sauce mixture.


Chicken's done... Sauce is done.... Now mix them together!!!


Serve it up on a bed of rice (on not, I suppose!) and drizzle a little extra sauce over the top. Garnish it with some more fresh green onions and the red pepper flakes. Remember - don't go super heavy on the pepper flakes but definitely don't go without!


Mmmm...... This was seriously so yummy. I want it again right now!


We had it with brown rice & steamed broccoli & it was just perfect!!

Enjoy.

Orange Chicken:

2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts (cut into bite-sized cubes)
1 1/2 cup flour
1 eggs
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
Canola or Veg oil (for frying)

1 1/2 cup water
2 Tbsp orange juice
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/3 cup rice vinegar
2 1/2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp orange zest (grated)
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp ginger root (minced)
1/2 tsp garlic (minced)
2 Tbsp green onion (chopped)
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
3 Tbsp cornstarch
3 Tbsp water

Combine flour, salt, and pepper in a gallon zip lock bag. Place beaten egg into a medium-sized bowl. Dip chicken in beaten egg, stirring to coat. Put the chicken into the bag with flour mixture & shake to thoroughly coat. Deep fry chicken in batches at 375 degrees in a deep fryer (or use a wok) until completely cooked.

Meanwhile, in a large saucepan combine 1 1/2 cups water, lemon juice, orange juice, rice vinegar, and soy sauce. Blend well over medium heat for a few minutes. Stir in brown sugar, orange zest, ginger garlic, and onion. Bring to a boil.

Combine 3 tablespoons of cornstarch with 3 tablespoons of water and mix thoroughly. Slowly stir cornstarch mixture into sauce until it thickens. Pour sauce over breaded chicken. Garnish with red pepper flakes and green onion.

Source: Tasty Kitchen by way of Portland Mama.

Chicken Almond Stir-Fry

I don't make stir-fry often enough - and I think it's because my kids don't like rice & they usually complain about the sauce. But I really, really like it so I decided I got to be #1 on the list for a change & I made it for dinner this past week. I loved it, Hubby loved it & the kids tolerated it & danced it around their plates with their forks trying hard to make it look like they at least tried it!! LOL Thank goodness there was an enormous bowl of fresh watermelon on the table, too - I think that is the only thing that made it into their bellies that night! But Hubby & I had a great meal! He's often hesitant of stir fry because people sometimes go overboard with the soy sauce, making the sauce too salty for him. This recipe here is definitely not that kind of a sauce - the perfect amount of each flavor to compliment one another & make a perfectly tasty meal.

Here's what you need:

Chicken breasts - sliced into strips, sliced almonds, a bag of frozen veggies (the original recipe says broccoli/carrot/water chestnut - I used broc/carrot/caul), pineapple juice, soy sauce, brown sugar, corn starch, ground ginger, sesame oil.

Pour the sesame oil around a large skillet, set it over med-high heat for a minute or two to warm the oil. Add the chicken & almonds and cook for a few minutes, stirring a time or two.

Add the frozen veggies, cover & cook about 4-5 minutes, stirring once.

While that is going whisk together the remaining ingredients to make the sauce.

Pour the sauce into the pan, stir it around & cook 2-3 more minutes - get the sauce to thicken a smidge.

And that's it! You're done! Serve it over some hot rice (we love brown rice) and dig in.

This is what I love about stirfry - look at all the great things that come together - each one maintaining its own unique flavor, while at the same time coordinating well with everything else as it is all brought together with the delicious sauce.

YUM. YUM. YUUUUUUUUUM!!!

Chicken Almond Stir-Fry:

2 TBsp sesame oil
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips
1 (2.25 oz.) pkg. sliced almonds
1 (16 oz.) pkg. frozen stir-fry veggies of your choosing
1 TBsp cornstarch
1 TBsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup pineapple juice
Hot cooked rice

Pour oil into a large non-stick skillet. Heat briefly at med-high heat. Add chicken and almonds; cook 2 minutes; stirring constantly.

Add veggies; cover and cook 4 minutes, stirring once.

Combine cornstarch and next 4 ingredients; add to pan. Cook, stirring constantly, 2 to 3 minutes or until thickened. Serve over rice.

Source: Alicia's Recipe Blog