DIY Take-Out | Orange Chicken & Veggie Lo Mein

Out of respect for hockey playoffs, and with the series 1-3 for my Blackhawks and 2-2 for his Bruins, the Buffalo Bites are going to be a gameday snack. 

Gameday snacks are very, very important. Especially for the boyfriend. See, we don't do the whole cable thing. We just don't watch that much TV. 

(Netflix and Hulu are incredible inventions.)

We do have a cable receiver box that hangs on the wall, though. It gets all the basic channels, plus a few random others. No idea what they are, because we seriously use it just for sports. Nothing else. Somehow, we manage to pick up a good chunk of the boyfriend's Boston games. A handful of mine. Lots of baseball, though (go Cubs!) so that makes me happy.

So, gamedays are important. Especially when the series is 2-2 for the Bruins. And for really important gamedays, you need extra tasty snacks.

Never fear, though - I found something super tasty to make instead of the bites. And, to make up for lack of Buffalo Bites, it's a two-for-one. Awesome, right? I know, I try.

The boyfriend was feeling Chinese food last night. When we order Chinese food, we eat it for a month. No joke. So. Much. Food.

Well, hello there, interwebs. A few seconds on Google and we have an amazingly delicious-looking recipe for Orange Chicken. Thank you, Harry Wetzel on Allrecipes for bringing this to my attention! My version, inspired by Wetzel's Asian Orange Chicken, is below. I may never order take-out again.

Orange Chicken
Yield | 2-3 servings

Prep Time | 15 minutes, plus 30 minutes to chill
Cook Time | 30 minutes
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Worth every bite.

Ingredients:

For the Sauce & Marinade

1/2 cup chicken broth

3/4 cup orange juice

2 tablespoons lemon juice

3 tablespoons rice vinegar

1/4 cup soy sauce

3/4 cup brown sugar

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon ginger, minced

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

3 tablespoons cornstarch

2 tablespoons cold water

1 lb chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces

In a bowl, whisk all of the ingredients for the sauce and marinade, except the chicken, starch, and cold water, until mixed through. 

Pour 3/4 cup of the sauce into a plastic bag and add chicken. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

Try substituting some of the brown sugar
with honey, so good!

While the chicken is marinating, pour the rest of your sauce into a pan over medium-high heat. Allow to simmer. Dissolve cornstarch in cold water and add to sauce, continuing to simmer until thickened. Remove from heat and set aside. 

For the Breading

3 egg whites

3/4 cup cornstarch (or flour)

1/2 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)*

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Oil for frying 

*Panko is amazing, and one of my required foodstuffs. I love it, and I use a lot of it. Light, yet crispy, it makes a great breading for just about any fried anything. However, if you don't have any on hand, substitute with 1/2 cup crunched up corn flakes, unseasoned breadcrumbs (anything crunchy and unseasoned, really), or 1/4 cup flour.

Heat oil to 350 degrees F. I use just enough to cover the chicken bites when I fry. Whisk egg whites in a dish and prepare your coating. In a bag, mix cornstarch, panko, baking soda, and cayenne pepper.

Coat chicken in egg. Add to bag and shake to coat. Cook in oil until golden brown, setting on a couple paper towels to absorb excess oil.

Crunchy, tasty chicken bites - great with any sauce, or plain!

Toss in sauce and voila! Tangy orange chicken with just enough burn. I don't think I'll ever go back. 

I did, however, promise a two-for-one deal! So, here is a recipe for Veggie Lo Mein. I went the easy route and used a frozen mix of stir fry vegetables (with some extra fresh mushrooms added), but as long as you have 2-3 cups of veggies (and some additional prep time for slicin' and dicin'), you'll be just fine!


Veggie Lo Mein
Yield | 3-4 servings

Cook Time | 25 minutes
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Ingredients:

1/2 package thin spaghetti, cooked al dente

2-3 cups mixed veggies (I used Birds Eye Broccoli Stir Fry mix, and added some extra fresh mushrooms)

3 eggs

1/3 cup teryaki sauce

1/4 cup soy sauce*

1 teaspoon ginger, minced

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

2 tablespoons oil

*This is really to-taste. I used a little more soy sauce and less teryaki, but do what tastes right to you.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add vegetables and egg. If you're using frozen, those will take a couple minutes longer, so wait 2-3 minutes before adding the egg.

Add pasta. Cook for 3-4 minutes, rotating a couple times. Add sauce and cook for 5-6 minutes longer.

Doesn't look too shabby, for a frozen veggie mix (with extra mushrooms, of course!)...

Quick, easy, and tasty.

Enjoy!