Orange Chicken: Take Two.

I tried making an Orange Chicken awhile back. Most likely, I wasn't crazy about it, because I haven't made it since. Perhaps because it was a "healthier" version of Orange Chicken. However, this one from Annie is definitely memorable. Spicy. Sweet. Savory. It's got it all.

I will say, it's a process. This isn't a quick dinner, but the reward is worth the work!

Ingredients:
For the marinade and sauce:
¾ cup low-sodium chicken broth
¾ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1½ tsp. finely grated orange zest
6 tbsp. white vinegar
¼ cup soy sauce
½ cup brown sugar (dark or light)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp. fresh ginger, grated
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
1½ lbs. boneless chicken thighs or breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 tbsp. plus 2 tsp. cornstarch
2 tbsp. cold water
8 thin strips orange peel (optional)

For the coating and frying:
3 large egg whites
1 cup cornstarch
½ tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
3 cups peanut or canola oil (I like a combination)

Directions:
To make the marinade and sauce, combine the chicken broth, orange juice, orange zest, vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, ginger and cayenne pepper in a large saucepan; whisk to blend well. Measure out ¾ cup of the mixture and transfer it to a large zipper lock plastic bag. Add the chicken pieces to the bag, pressing out the excess air and sealing well. Refrigerate and let marinate 30-60 minutes, but no longer. Place the saucepan with the remaining mixture on the stove and heat over medium-high heat. Bring to a simmer. In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and water until smooth. Add the mixture to the saucepan with the sauce. Continue simmering until the sauce is thick and translucent, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat and stir in the strips of orange peel, if using.

To prepare the coating, place the egg whites in a pie plate and whisk until frothy. In a second pie plate combine the cornstarch, baking soda and cayenne pepper; whisk to blend. Drain the chicken of the marinade in a colander or large strainer; pat dry with paper towels. Place half of the chicken pieces in the egg whites and turn to coat. Transfer the pieces to the cornstarch mixture and coat thoroughly, shaking off the excess. Transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining chicken pieces.

To fry the chicken, heat the oil in a 11- or 12-inch round Dutch oven or straight-sided sauté pan until the oil reaches 350˚ F. Carefully place half of the chicken pieces in the oil and fry until golden brown, about 5 minutes, turning the pieces halfway through cooking. Remove from the oil with a skimmer or slotted spoon and transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Return the oil to 350˚ F and repeat with the remaining chicken pieces.

Reheat the sauce if necessary and toss with the cooked chicken pieces. Serve over rice, if desired.

Baked Egg Rolls

For a girl that loves fried food, these baked egg rolls, that I found here, were pretty darn good! Next time I will definitely add more things to the filling such as veggies and maybe mini shrimp to give them more flavor. Otherwise they were great and crisped up well!

You’ll need:

* egg roll wrappers
* a bag of cole slaw mix
* a can of mushrooms
* 1 tsp garlic, minced
* 1/4 tsp ground ginger
* a splash of soy sauce
* salt and pepper
* cooking spray or olive oil in a mister (I use olive oil in a mister)

Optional:

* mung bean sprouts
* can of tiny cooked shrimp
* anything else you think would be good inside of the egg rolls
1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Put your cole slaw in a large microwave-safe bowl, cover, and microwave 3-6 minutes.
2. Chop your mushrooms and put them in a mixing bowl. This is also when you’d put in the bean sprouts, shrimp, or other fillings.
3. Add the soy sauce, garlic and ginger.
4. By now your cole slaw mix should be cooked. Drain it to get out any excess liquid as no one likes a soggy egg roll. Combine it with the rest of the filling.
5. Place a bit of filling in the center of each wrapper. (See that little bowl? That has water in it, which you’ll need for sealing the edges.)
6.Fold in two of the corners.
7. Put a bit of water on the top edges with your finger. Fold up the bottom, and roll as tightly as you can to the edge. It helps if you tuck while you roll.
8. Repeat for the rest of the wrappers, and place the egg rolls on a baking sheet sprayed with non-stick spray or olive oil (mmm… olive oil). Spray the tops of the egg rolls with the oil, too.
9. Bake 15 minutes, then flip the egg rolls over and bake an additional 10-15 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving (this will let the wrappers get a little more crisp too).

Orange Chicken Stir Fry

I had orange shrimp at PF Changs not too long ago, and so I thought I'd try my hand at orange chicken at home. I was a little nervous as Asian fare usually seems complicated, but I found this very easy to follow. I personally would have liked it a little more savory than sweet, so I would add more soy next time. Otherwise it was really good!

INGREDIENTS

* 1 cup orange juice
* 1 tablespoon grated orange zest
* 1/4 cup soy sauce
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 3 cloves garlic, chopped
* 1 tablespoon brown sugar
* 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
* 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into 1 inch cubes (I only used one very large chicken breast)
* 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
* 1 cup bean sprouts (optional)
* 1 (6 ounce) package crispy chow mein noodles
*I also used about 2 cups of frozen veggies- I added them in with the chicken

DIRECTIONS

1. In a small bowl combine the orange juice, orange zest, soy sauce, salt, garlic and brown sugar. Mix well.
2. Heat oil in a large skillet or wok over medium high heat. When oil begins to bubble, add chicken. Saute until cooked through (no longer pink inside), about 7 to 10 minutes.
3. Add orange sauce mixture to chicken and cook until sauce begins to bubble. Add flour, a little bit at a time, until sauce has thickened to your liking. Add bean sprouts and cook for 1 minute; serve hot over chow mein noodles.

My Notes: I definitely had enough sauce, but if you are going to make it with 4 pieces of chicken, I would increase the amount, but I like things saucy!

Sweet & Sour Chicken

I first spotted this on Jen's blog...which led me to Ashley's Blog and she apparently got it from Kitchen Cafe. PHEW! Anyway, it looked so good and I had all the ingredients, double bonus. Oh and it tasted delicious....TRIPLE bonus! It's not the fastest dinner, but the prep time doesn't take all that long. Either way, it's worth it. I made some white rice and mini egg rolls to go along with it. And thank goodness for leftovers...I'm going to want this again tomorrow! I'm anxious to make this when Carl is home and can enjoy it!

Sweet and Sour Chicken
Chicken:
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Salt and pepper
1 cup cornstarch
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup canola oil

Cut boneless chicken breasts into chunks. Season with salt and pepper. Dip chicken in cornstarch and then in egg. Fry in a little oil until brown but not cooked through. Place in a single layer in a baking dish. Mix sauce ingredients (below) together and pour over chicken.

Sauce:
¾ cup sugar
4 tablespoons ketchup
½ cup vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon garlic salt

Bake for one hour at 325 degrees. Turn chicken every 15 minutes. If you like extra sauce, make another batch of sauce and bring it to a boil on the stovetop. Stir constantly and let cook over medium heat until thickened and reduced - about 6-8 minutes.