WE EAT | {Oven Fried} Asian Orange Chicken

When I talk about Asian foods with Jordan, he names Orange Chicken and fried rice.. or Shrimp Pad Thai as his favorites.  I gladly high-five him in agreement.  About 98% of the time he is kidnapped by the Food Court toothpick guy.  You know, the one that hands out the free buffet-style-chinese-chicken-something or other.  Usually, I’m walking myself right over to a sandwich place or other fare and he dissappears off to the buffet line.  Those toothpick guys bee-line right for him.  Such an easy target.

I asked Jordan for a sweet 'honey-do-what-I-tell-you-because-I'm-pregnant' favor the other day.. to bring me home a family size order of Orange Chicken from Panda Express.  I'm having a hard time with portion control right now.  Portion control being - I want everything in sight, but in the very same moment I absolutely HATE everything in sight.  It is a hard road and fine line to walk.

Well, this night I made my own Chinese chicken that actually made it to the dinner table.  

No toothpicks needed.

Asian Orange Chicken
adapted from: gimme some oven 

Chicken

1/3 cup honey

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (about the juice of one lemon)

2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce

2 teaspoons dark sesame oil

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite sized pieces

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Sauce

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup orange juice (pulp free)

1/2 cup honey

1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce

1/4 cup rice wine vinegar

3 tablespoons cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon white pepper

zest of one orange

pinch of crushed red pepper flake
--
Combine first 6 ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag; seal and shake well. Add chicken; seal and toss to coat. Refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight, turning occasionally.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Remove chicken from the marinade.  Add in flour to a medium sized bowl and toss to coat, shaking off excess. Line a jelly roll pan with parchment paper and add the chicken, spacing evenly across the pan. Bake 20 minutes, stirring once halfway through.

While the chicken is baking, combine sauce ingredients in a medium sauce pan, whisking to combine.  
Bring to a low boil and heat until thickened; about 4-7 minutes.   

Remove chicken from the oven and place in a large mixing bowl.  Toss with the thickened sauce, stirring to coat each piece. 
Serve over hot cooked noodles, rice pilaf, or quinoa!

It usually takes some coaxing for new foods, and while oven fried chicken (ahem..chicken nuggets..) are nothing new, it was the sauce that was questionable for these two.  Dr. Brown's makes these amazing stacking dipping cups - making the perfect place for the orange sauce.  We often use these spill-proof containers along when I'm out running errands and want to bring fresh fruit or snacks.

 After first tastes..Jolie attempted to talk us all out of the sauce.

 And then she actually tasted it.. well I think this face says it all.  So, the chicken won out over the sauce in Jolie's book of picky foods and I was thankful to have the dipping cups rather than just pouring the sauce over the chicken as Jordan and I enjoyed it.

Parker was all like 'mmmmmmmhmm' after every bite.  Something she picked up from her daddy recently.

Can we talk about their new bibs for a second?
If these snap bibs didn't make dinner time more colorful.. we were in DESPERATE need of new bibs and these have fulfilled my hearts desire for meal time.  I was worried I would be disappointed without the pocket catch-all that I'm used to, but really I don't miss it.  You know what else I don't miss? Cleaning those nasty pockets.  Mushy cereal. Squished peaches.  Ew- banana!

I could go on, but then the rest of today's meals would be ruined by pregnancy food aversions and I would be stuck with saltines YET AGAIN.  Thank you to the nausea gods for overlooking me, but while I'm not nauseous, I just don't like food right now.  But then the times I do, I want all the food (like, all of it).  A lot.  And here were are walking the fine line again.

Did I mention this is better than Panda?

toddler plates / circo for target (similar)

toddler utensils / oxo tot

dipping cups c/o dr. brown's

bibs c/o snap bibs