Spicy Orange Chicken Lo Mein
Instead of being deep-fried like in most restaurant versions of orange chicken, the chicken in this recipe is coated with cornstarch and stir-fried, which drastically reduces the fat. You won't miss a thing, not with a sauce this flavorful!
Credit: The Juan-Carlos Cruz Calorie Countdown Cookbook by Juan-Carlos Cruz with Martha Rose Shulman
Servings: 2
Ingredients:
Chicken and marinade
* 1 cup orange juice from frozen concentrate
* 1 tablespoon garlic chili sauce (to taste)
* 1/2 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in thin strips
* 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Lo mein
* 2 ounces lo mein noodles, either dried or frozen
* 1/4 cup chicken stock
* 2 tablespoons frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
* 1 1/2 tablespoons oyster sauce
* 1 tablespoon soy sauce
* 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
* 1 1/2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
* 1 teaspoon garlic chili sauce
* 8 ounces mixed stir-fry vegetables, either fresh or frozen
* 1 tablespoon peanut oil
* Salt and freshly ground black pepper
* 1/2 bunch green onions, sliced on the diagonal
Directions:
Mix together the orange juice and garlic chili sauce in a medium bowl and toss with the chicken. Place in the refrigerator for 1 hour, stirring every once in a while.
Cook the noodles according to the instructions on the package. Drain and hold in a bowl of cold water.
For the sauce, mix together the chicken stock, orange juice concentrate, oyster sauce, soy sauce, cornstarch (1 1/2 teaspoons), ginger and garlic chili sauce. Set aside.
Place the vegetables in a microwave-safe bowl, cover and microwave on high until the vegetables are just crisp, about 2 to 3 minutes. This is actually steaming, my favorite way to cook vegetables because there is no fat added and all of the health benefits of the vegetables are retained. Set aside.
Heat a large nonstick wok or large nonstick saute pan over high heat. Drain the chicken (this is important, because if you don't drain the chicken properly and add it with the marinade, you'll get a big sticky mess) and toss with 1 tablespoon cornstarch. When the pan is hot, add 1 tablespoon peanut oil and swirl to coat the sides of the pan. As soon as the oil is shimmering on the surface of the pan, drop a handful of the marinated chicken (about a third) into the wok and stir-fry until all sides of the chicken strips are nicely browned and the chicken is cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the pan with a stir-fry spatula or skimmer and transfer to a bowl. Repeat with the remaining 2 batches of chicken and set aside.
When all of the chicken has been cooked, turn the heat down to medium and add the sauce to the pan. Bring to a simmer; simmer until the sauce thickens (this happens quickly). Add salt and pepper, taste and adjust seasonings. Add the noodles and the vegetables to the sauce and toss to warm through. Stir in the chicken, toss together and transfer to a large platter. Garnish with the sliced green onions and serve at once.
