We love doing food experients in our house. Remember that one time we tried to be vegetarian for a week? Well, the experiment we are trying this month is fool proof. 31 days of Asian dinners. I am 11 days in and batting… well 11.
We have had Vietnamese Spring Rolls, Pho, Lemongrass Chicken, and Sesame Ginger Noodles just to name a few. And of course we have had sushi… can’t skip the sushi. And yup, I have been making the meals from scratch. Even all the sauces. Why? Because I am trying to keep the frying and sugar to a minimum and still enjoy our favorite Asian meals.
Tonight, errrrr, last night I made Orange Chicken. It is definitely a go to if we ever hit up Panda Express. The slight modifications made it a little more healthy but still just as tasty. I was able to get a great crunch to the chicken even though I baked it. And the sauce couldn’t tell I used Agave instead of sugar.
| Orange Chicken |
- Chicken-
- 4-5 chicken breast cut up into 1 inch pieces
- 3 cups of panko bread crumbs
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup flour
- Sauce-
- 3 tablespoon soy sauce
- 3 tablespoon water
- 8 tablespoon Agave syrup
- 10 tablespoons rice vinegar (can substitute with white vinegar)
- 2 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
- 2 tablespoon minced or finely grated ginger
- 2 tablespoon cornstarch
- Zest of once medium-large orange
- 2 teaspoon of sesame oil
- 3-4 tablespoon of toasted sesame seeds (optional)
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray baking sheet with cooking spray. Mix together flour and salt in a bowl. Lightly beat the eggs in their own bowl. Place bread crumbs in a separate bowl. Lightly coat chicken pieces in flour. Dip chicken in egg mixture until covered. Toss chicken in bread crumbs until evenly coated. Places chicken pieces on cookie sheet in a single layer. Bake for about 20 minutes. (they should get lightly browned)
- While chicken is baking, in a medium size bowl, mix together soy sauce, vinegar, and agave syrup. Place canola oil in skillet over medium heat. Add ginger and garlic and cook for about 2-3 minutes being sure not to burn. Add green onions and orange zest cook until soft (about 60 seconds). Add soy sauce mixture and cook over medium heat (stirring frequently) for about 3-5 minutes. Mix together corn starch and water in a separate bowl then add to sauce pan. Stir until thick. Mix in sesame oil just before serving.
- Remove baked chicken from the oven and place on platter. Drizzle with orange sauce and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds.
- Serve with your favorite sides. We chose rice and asian slaw. Enjoy!
