A favorite restaurant re-creation success! A Chinese restaurant that I frequently got takeout from makes this wonderful spicy orange chicken. It’s one of those things that’s so good, my boyfriend and I were incapable of going there and not ordering it.
Their irresistible sauce was a very unnatural bright red hue, and was super sweet and sticky. My version is healthier, natural, and goes well with any kind of vegetables, noodles, tofu/tempeh/faux meat you want.
I usually make a big batch of the sauce but just do enough stir-fry for two; I’ve used the leftover sauce for another simple stir-fry, or for dipping things like pot stickers, egg rolls, and scallion pancakes (an amazing Chinese treat that I’ve found a good recipe for and will post soon!) Yum.
sauce:
serves 4
3/4 C orange juice
1/4 C water, plus 1 T water
1 T low-sodium soy sauce
1 T seasoned rice vinegar
1 1/2 t yellow bean paste (see my Szechuan green beans post)
1/4 t crushed red pepper
1 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 t sriracha (optional for those who like extra spicy)
1 T arrowroot (you might need a little more – I’ve made this three times, and for some reason one time this wasn’t enough)
Combine all ingredients except cornstarch and 1 T water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce and simmer just a few minutes. In a small bowl, whisk arrowroot and 1 T water together until smooth. Then slowly whisk into sauce and cook until sauce reaches desired consistency, constantly stirring. Remove from heat.
stir fry:
serves 4
you can just use about 3-4 C of the veggies of your choice
2 T canola/vegetable/safflower oil
1/2 C broccoli florets
1/2 C snow peas, thinly sliced
1 white or yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 can miniature corn
1 can bamboo shoots
1 bell pepper, thinly sliced
4 oz tofu, sliced
Heat a large frying pan or wok over medium-high heat. When hot, add oil and all other ingredients and cook, stirring constantly, for about 5 minutes. At the last minute, pour sauce into veggies. Serve over rice or noodles or whatever you like!
Nutrition facts per serving: Calories: 169; Calories from Fat: 80; Total Fat: 8.9g; Saturated Fat: 0.8g; Sodium: 314mg; Total Carbohydrates: 18.5g; Dietary Fiber: 3.9g; Sugars: 11.3g; Protein: 6.2g
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