Orange Chicken

I am still on a mission to use all of the oranges I brought home in a big Hefty trash bag last week. So last night, it was Orange Chicken, a dish I have only ever tried at Chinese restaurants. I don’t own a deep-fryer, so I just rolled the chicken in flour and put it in the oven. Yes, crispy chicken would be better, but this recipe is still unbelievably delicious and lower fat (I lost a ½ pound on it!).
-AnglophileinLA
Orange Chicken

For Sauce, combine the following:
Juice of 2 oranges, then fill the measuring cup to 1 ½ C with water
Juice of 2 lemons
1 tsp white vinegar
1 tsp Soy sauce
Zest of 1 orange
¾ C brown sugar (add to taste, could be up to 1 C brown sugar)
2 cloves minced garlic
1 inch chopped ginger root (extra root freezes well)
½ a small onion chopped fine, or green onions
½ tsp red pepper flakes
2 Tb Flour mixture from chicken (to follow)
For the chicken, you will need:
A casserole dish large enough for the chicken
6 drumsticks (or bite sized pieces of chicken breast, whatever you have)
½ C Flour
1 tsp salt
A few twists of pepper
1 tsp poultry seasoning
½ tsp garlic powder
Sesame oil

Directions for Chicken:
1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
2. Mix the flour, salt, pepper, poultry seasoning and garlic powder in a small bowl.
3. Oil the bottom of the casserole dish with sesame oil (olive oil will also work, but sesame oil adds a nutty undertone to the dish).
4. Take a piece of chicken and dip both sides in the sesame oil in the casserole dish, then roll it in the flour mixture until completely coated. Return to the casserole dish and repeat with the rest of the chicken. You should have some flour left over which will be used to thicken the sauce.
5. Put chicken in the oven and cook for 30 minutes, then flip the chicken pieces and cook for another 30 minutes or until browned.

Directions for Sauce:
1. Cook the garlic, onion and ginger first, keep in pan.
2. Combine all the other ingredients and whisk in 2 Tb of the chicken flour mixture into the liquid before adding it into the pan.
3. Cook down until the chicken is done.
Meanwhile – make your rice (10 min rice is good), and stirfry some chopped carrots and Asian-style peas in soy sauce if you want. They’re great for presentation, and vegetables are always good.

Spread the rice out in a large serving dish, cover with the stir-fried veggies, and place the chicken pieces on top. Pour most of the orange sauce over everything, saving some to be served on the side (believe me, you will want every drop).