Free Recipe Friday - Orange Chicken

We LOVE Panda Express, especially the Orange Chicken. I found a copycat recipe on recipezaar.com and have adapted it. It is a staple for us now and DH says he likes it better than Panda! (Plus it's cheaper.)

Ingredients
Breading
2 lbs boneless skinless chicken, chopped into bite sized pieces
1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
oil (for frying)
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup flour
Cook with Chicken
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon crushed hot red chili pepper, optional
1/4 cup green onion, chopped
1/4 cup water
1/2 tablespoon cornstarch
Orange Sauce
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 - 1/2 cup orange juice without pulp (we use Simply Orange - yum!)
1 teaspoon sesame oil
3 tablespoons water
5 tablespoons sugar
5 tablespoons white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon orange zest

(all measurements are approximate...I just play with it until it tastes good!)

1. Mix the egg, salt, pepper, and about a tablespoon of oil in a bowl
   
2. Add chicken pieces to the bowl and mix until coated.
3. In a separate bowl, mix cornstarch and flour. Then add to chicken pieces, stirring until all pieces are coated.
4. Heat oil for frying in wok or skillet.
5. Add chicken pieces and stir-fry (you can do small batches at a time and they cook more evenly, but I'm too impatient and I put them all in)
6. After chicken is mostly done, add garlic, ground ginger, crushed hot red chili pepper, and onion. (You can take the chicken out, clean the wok, then heat more oil and cook it that way. I've done it both ways and don't taste a difference. Plus, I'm lazy)
7. While mixture is simmering, mix together the orange sauce ingredients. I don't always use orange zest and it still tastes good. If you give it a taste, it should taste soy saucy with a mild orange flavor. This is because when you cook the sauce, some of the soy sauce cooks out and leaves the orange flavor more pungent.
8. Add orange sauce to chicken and bring mixture to a boil, stirring often.
   
9. Mix together water and cornstarch until cornstarch is dissolved. Add this to the pot and simmer until sauce has thickened. (Don't let it simmer too long or the chicken will get a little too soft)
10. Enjoy!

I am salivating writing this and we just had it last night! :) I usually serve it with white rice and stir-fry veggies. Sometimes I just cut the chicken into pieces and stir-fry it without the breading - easier and more healthy. But it tastes more like Panda Express if you bread it. I thought about taking a picture last night to post, but DH started eating before I got the chance! :)