Orange Chicken

One of my favorite things to make is orange chicken. Its a great recipe and paired with chow mein (for the recipe click here) it has many of the ingredients which cuts down on your grocery shopping for this dinner.

Orange Chicken

Ingredients:

2 lbs boneless skinless chicken, chopped into bite sized pieces
1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
white pepper
oil (for frying)
1/2 cup cornstarch, plus
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 cup flour
1 tablespoon ginger root, minced
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon crushed hot red chili pepper
1/4 cup green onion, chopped
1 tablespoon rice wine
1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

Orange Sauce for Stir Fry:

1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons water
5 tablespoons sugar
5 tablespoons white vinegar
1 orange, zest of

Directions:

It is easier to prepare the orange sauce first. Put soy sauce, water, sugar, white vinegar, and orange zest in a bowl. Whisk it up and set aside. In a large bowl stir together egg, salt, pepper and 1 tablespoon of the oil and mix well. Stir cornstarch and flour together. Mix flour mixture and egg mixture. Add chicken pieces, stirring to coat. Heat oil for deep-frying in wok or deep-fryer to 375 degrees. Add chicken, small batches at a time, and fry 3 to 4 minutes or until golden crisp. (Do not overcook chicken). Remove chicken from oil with slotted spoon and drain on paper towels; set aside.

Clean wok and heat 15 seconds over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil. Add ginger and garlic and stir-fry until fragrant; about 10 seconds. Add and stir-fry crushed chiles and green onions. Add rice wine and stir 3 seconds. Add Orange Sauce and bring to boil. Add cooked chicken, stirring until well mixed. Stir water into remaining 1 tablespoon cornstarch until smooth and add to chicken. Heat until sauce is thickened. Stir in sesame oil last minute. Take off heat and serve over rice.

Chicken Bruschetta Pasta from Pampered Chef

Recently went to another Pampered Chef party. I know, I sound like I'm addicted or something but they are all fundraisers for the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. I do have a shopping list a mile long but that will be over time. I have plenty of Pampered Chef parties in my future. The consultant made this wonderful pasta dish that everyone said would be something my husband would love. He usually makes a bruschetta every time we have a party so everyone associates bruschetta with my husband. Here is the Pampered Chef recipe for Chicken Bruschetta Pasta.

Chicken Bruschetta Pasta Ingredients:

 2 Chicken Breast
3-4 Plum Tomatoes
3/4 c. Olive Oil
2-3 Cans of chicken broth *to cover pasta in DCB
1 lb. Farfalle
4-6 Leaves of fresh Basil
3 Cloves of fresh garlic
1 Tbsp Pampered Chef Italian Seasoning Mix
Salt and Pepper (dash of each)
fresh Parmesan Cheese

Place chicken breast into a large ziplock bag and flatten them with meat tenderizer. This will allow them to cook more quickly and evenly. After flattening them, place them in the deep covered baker with some PC Italian Seasoning.

 Cook for 8-10 minutes (longer if not flattened). Chop with salad chopper and remove from baker.

 Break pasta in half, put in baker. Pour chicken broth over spaghetti until it is covered. Microwave for approx. 16-17 minutes, mixing a 8 minutes. Add fresh basil, a little olive oil into manual food processor.

Use garlic press to mince 3 cloves of garlic into manual food processor. Slice tomatoes into wedges (veggie wedger works wonders!) and add to manual food processor. Add salt and pepper.

 Drain pasta from DCB. Mix chopped chicken, pasta and olive oil mixture together, grate parmesan cheese on top and serve!

Well of course I don't have every thing pampered chef but I do have plenty of cooking supplies that can get the job done just as well. So don't think you need the deep covered baker or the manual food processor (though those are both great products that I would love to have) you can substitute with your own items. I used a blender instead of the food processor. Would of been better to have the manual food processor and any food processor than a blender but it got done. I also used my Corningware to cook this in instead of the deep covered baker. My substitute was a package of Pampered Chef Italian Seasoning Mix was a package of Wishbone Italian Dressing and Seasoning Mix.

Hope you enjoy this one, my hubby certainly did.

Tangy Orange Chicken with Green Bean Mandarin Salad

I made a orange chicken that had a bit of a kick to it. With a green bean salad on the side. It was a great dinner....

Orange Chicken

Ingredients:

2 lbs boneless skinless chicken, chopped into bite sized pieces
1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
white pepper
oil (for frying)
1/2 cup cornstarch, plus
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 cup flour
1 tablespoon ginger root, minced
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon crushed hot red chili pepper
1/4 cup green onion, chopped
1 tablespoon rice wine
1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

Orange Sauce for Stir Fry:

1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons water
5 tablespoons sugar
5 tablespoons white vinegar
1 orange, zest of

Directions:

It is easier to prepare the orange sauce first. Put soy sauce, water, sugar, white vinegar, and orange zest in a bowl. Whisk it up and set aside. In a large bowl stir together egg, salt, pepper and 1 tablespoon of the oil and mix well. Stir cornstarch and flour together. Mix flour mixture and egg mixture. Add chicken pieces, stirring to coat. Heat oil for deep-frying in wok or deep-fryer to 375 degrees. Add chicken, small batches at a time, and fry 3 to 4 minutes or until golden crisp. (Do not overcook chicken). Remove chicken from oil with slotted spoon and drain on paper towels; set aside.

Clean wok and heat 15 seconds over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil. Add ginger and garlic and stir-fry until fragrant; about 10 seconds. Add and stir-fry crushed chiles and green onions. Add rice wine and stir 3 seconds. Add Orange Sauce and bring to boil. Add cooked chicken, stirring until well mixed. Stir water into remaining 1 tablespoon cornstarch until smooth and add to chicken. Heat until sauce is thickened. Stir in sesame oil last minute. Take off heat and serve over rice.

Green Bean Mandarin Salad

1/2lb fresh green beans
1 can of mandarin oranges
Ground pepper (lightly to taste )
Olive oil to drizzle
Balsamic Vinegar

Clean green beans. Boil green beans to al dente. Throw green beans in large bowl of cold ice water. Drain. Add can of mandarin juice and all. Toss in pepper and oil. When green beans are well coated add Balsamic vinegar to taste. Serve cold.