Chinese Recipe: Simple Orange Chicken

We recently shared a great fried rice recipe that works as a very good side to your favorite Chinese recipes. Today, we're giving you a recipe for another classic Chinese entree that's a perfect accompaniment to fried rice: orange chicken, of course. 

A good orange chicken should have just that little bit of sweetness and tanginess to it without being completely overpowering. It should also have that beautiful, slightly sticky gloss and marinade that perfectly coats the chicken. Most orange chicken recipes will have you fry the chicken first to get it nice and crispy, but if you want to make this dish healthier, skip the breading and the frying. Cook the chicken pieces in a skillet, then pour the sauce over and let the chicken and sauce boil until you get that perfect gloss. Keep reading below for this delicious recipe...

Orange Chicken Recipe

Ingredients

MARINADE

• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon orange zest
• 1 teaspoon Sriracha (or to taste)
• 1/4 teaspoon ground or grated ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon white pepper

THE REST

• 1 1/2 lbs boneless chicken breasts cut into 1" chunks
• 1 cup and 2 tablespoons cornstarch, divided
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 teaspoon sesame seeds

Directions

1. Make the marinade: whisk together chicken broth, orange juice, honey, vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, orange zest, sriracha, ginger, and white pepper in a bowl.
2. In a large zipper-lock bag or lage bowl, combine the chicken and 2/3 cup of the marinade. Marinate the chicken for at least 30 minutes, turning the bag occasionally. Drain the chicken from the marinade and discard the marinade.
3. Heat the remaining mardinade in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring the marinade to a boil. Stir together 2 tablespoons of cornstarch with 2 tablespoons cold water, then stir that into the marinade. Cook, stirring frequently, until thickened (about 1-2 minutes. Keep warm.
4. One at a time, dip the chicken into the beaten eggs, then dredge in the remaining 1 cup cornstarch, pressing in to coat.
5. Heat the vegetable oil in a large saucepan. In batches, add the chicken and fry until golden brown and cooked through (about 1-2 minutes). Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate, then discard the excess oil. Serve the chicken immediately, tossed with the marinade and garnished with sesame seeds.
6. Enjoy!

Creative Grill Recipe: Flank Steak with a Balsamic Glaze and Orange Gremolata

If you're eager to set your grill up and get cooking, why not do it in style? Spruce up that steak with some grilled red onions and a balsamic glaze. Top all of that off with some zesty orange gremolata, and you have a meal worth bragging about.

The flank steak practically speaks for itself and only really required a quick sprinkle with salt and pepper before grilling. For our balsamic glaze, we combined vinegar and shallots and let the mixture simmer until reduced into a nice, thick sauce. Our gremolata is made with grated orange rind instead of the standard lemon to change the flavors up and make this an almost irresistible garnish when combined with the glaze. In the end, the flavors combined into  a perfect dinner we fell in love with. Keep reading below for this great steak recipe...

Grilled Flank Steak with Orange Gremolata

(makes 4 servings)

Ingredients

• 1lb flank steak, trimmed
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 medium red onion cut into 8 wedges
• cooking spray
• 1 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 sprig rosemary
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1/2 cup finely chopped shallots
• 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
• 1 tablespoon grated orange rind
• 2 cloves garlic, minced

Directions

1. Prepare the grill.
2. Sprinkle the steak with salt and pepper. Place the steak and onion wedges on a grill coated with cooking spray. Grill 5 minutes on each side or until you've reached the desired doneness. Remove the steak and the onions from the grill and let stand 5 minutes. Cut steak diagonally across the grain into slices.
3. Meanwhile, combine vinegar, rosemary, brown sugar, and shallots in a small saucepan. Stir, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 7 minutes or until reduced to about 1/2 cup.
4. To make the gremolata, combine the fresh parsley, orange rind, and 2 cloves minced garlic.
5. Drizzle the steaks with the balsamic glaze, then sprinkle with the gremolata. Serve with sweet potatoes.
6. Enjoy!

Sweet & Savory Recipe: Orange Glazed Ham

This recipe is a little more tangy than ordinary baked ham, with a sweet, citrus tone. It's perfect for Easter, but also delicious at any family gathering throughout the year. 

Sweet, citrus fruits seem only natural to pair with ham. Instead of pineapple, however, we wanted to try something different this time: oranges. The combination of oranges baked right on and a glaze made from orange juice, garlic, and a few herbs turned this traditional Easter dinner into something special. Keep reading below for this fantastic recipe...

Orange Glazed Ham

(10-12 servings)

Ingredients

• 1 8-10lb smoked ham, bone-in skin on
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 bunch of fresh sage leaves
• 2 sprigs rosemary
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 cup unsalted butter, cut in chunks
• 2 oranges, sliced thin, seeds removed
• 2 cups orange juice
• 2 cups light brown sugar, packed
• 1 cup water
• 1/4 teaspoon whole cloves
• 2 cinnamon sticks

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 300F.
2. Place the ham in a large roading pan, fat side up. Use a sharp knife to score the ham with cuts across the skin, about 2 inches apart and 1/2" deep. Cut diagonally down the slashes to form a diamond pattern. Season the meat with salt and pepper.
3. Chop about 8 sage leaves and 1 sprig of rosemary leaves and put in a bowl. Mix with the oil and garlic to make a paste. Rub the herb oil all over the ham, making sure to get the mixture into all the slits. Bake the ham for 2 hours.
4. For the glaze, place a saucepan over medium heat. Add the chunks of butter, oranges, orange juice, brown sugar, water, and spices. Slowly cook the liquid down to a syrupy glaze (about 30 to 40 minutes).
5. Once the ham has been cooked for the two hours, pour the orange glaze over it and place a few pieces of fruit on the ham with toothpicks. Scatter the remaining sage leaves and rosemary leaves on top, then bake the ham for another 2 hours, basting with the juices every 30 minutes.
6. Once baked, set the ham on a cutting board and let rest 10 minutes before carving. Serve with the glaze on the side.
7. Enjoy!

Asian-Inspired Recipe: Crispy Low-Sugar Orange Chicken

Orange Chicken is a dish that people just can’t seem to get enough of, ourselves included! Unfortunately, most orange chicken recipes use a lot of sugar and then deep-fry the chicken, so it’s not always the healthiest choice…. (Although it may be the tastiest.) While our recipe still involves a lot of the original ingredients, we try to cut corners where we can to make this yummy dish a little healthier without skimping on taste—we know you’ll love it once you try it!

Low-Sugar Orange Chicken

(Serves 4) 

Ingredients 

• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, 2-inch pieces
• 1 cup orange juice
• 2 teaspoons orange zest
• 2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoon all-natural honey
• 1 1/2 tablespoon low-sugar orange marmalade
• 1-3 teaspoons red pepper flakes
• 1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375º F and spray a baking sheet with non-stick spray.
2. Place chicken in a small bowl and add salt, pepper and beaten egg. Toss well.
3. Shake off excess egg and, one-by-one, dredge chicken pieces in bowl of flour. Evenly spread out on baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.
4. In a separate small bowl, combine cornstarch with chicken broth until completely dissolved. Set aside
5. In a saucepan, heat vegetable oil over medium heat and cook ginger and garlic until fragrant. 1-2 minutes. Add orange juice, zest, honey, red pepper flakes, soy sauce and marmalade. Bring to a boil and stir for 2 minutes, then lower heat and simmer until sauce thickens and reduces by 1/4.
6. Pour in cornstarch mixture and bring back to a boil, stirring for 2-4 minutes. Take off heat, but keep warm. Toss in chicken and coat thoroughly with sauce. Serve hot.

Dinner Recipe: Apricot and Orange Glazed Pork Roast

Hearty dinners are so nice when temperatures start to drop; there’s nothing better than gathering around with friends or family and enjoying a warm meal. This pork roast is a lovely blend of savory and sweet, with the apricot and orange glaze pairing perfectly with the meat. The recipe calls for apricot and orange preserves, but if you’ve got leftover marmalade or apricot jam, those work just as well. This is a meal that’s easy to customize and hard to mess up—we’re big believers in dishes that taste great basically no matter what you do, so give this roast a try!

Apricot Glazed Pork Roast

Serves 8

Ingredients

• 1 4 pound pork loin roast
• 1/2 (12 oz.) jar apricot preserves
• 1/2 (12 oz.) jar orange preserves
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon rosemary
• salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• cloves, optional

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350ª F.
2. Take pork roast and place it, fat side up, in a 9x13-inch baking dish.
3. If you have a fatty top layer, slice it diagonally in both directions (top left, to bottom right; top right, to bottom left) to create a diamond pattern.
4. Take cloves and press them firmly into the top layer of fat, at all the points where the diagonal lines intersect.
5. Season generously with salt and pepper.
6. In a medium saucepan, combine apricot and orange preserves, honey, ginger, allspice and rosemary over medium heat, and bring to a boil.
7. Lower heat and simmer mixture until it reduces and thickens up, about 5 minutes. Set aside 1 cup to serve with the pork.
8. Bake for 1 hour, or until internal temperature is 160º when checked with a meat thermometer, basting every 15-20 minutes with glaze.
9. Let pork stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Salad Recipe: Roasted Beet and Navel Orange Goat Cheese Salad

If ever you thought to yourself, “I’d really love to have a beautiful salad, today,” this is absolutely the one to make! Beets are a gorgeous and delicious vegetable, and they deserve much more attention than they’re usually given. Their earthy flavor goes really well with the goat cheese and oranges in this recipe, and they leave behind a fabulous pink color that turns your plate into a watercolor painting. This salad is perfect and easy if you want to make a great impression on your dinner guests, in terms of both taste and presentation—you won’t be disappointed!

Orange, Beet and Goat Cheese Salad

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 2 beets
• 2 navel oranges, with juices
• 1 bunch (8 oz.) beetroot leaves
• 1 bunch (8 oz.) arugula
• 6 oz. soft goat cheese, crumbled
• 1/3 cup fresh pomegranate seeds
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450º F.
2. Wrap individual beets in aluminum foil and place on a baking sheet. Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until tender.
3. Remove beets from oven and let cool completely before handling. Rub skin off with a paper towel and cut into wedges.
4. Take oranges and cut both ends off. Use a paring knife, carefully cut the peel and white pith off of the fruit.
5. Over a bowl, cut the oranges between the membranes to get full slices.
6. Juice whatever orange you have remaining (including membranes) into a small bowl.
7. Add olive oil to the orange juice, whisking continuously, and season with salt and pepper.
8. Arrange beetroot and arugula leaves on serving plates, top with beet wedges, orange slices and pomegranate seeds, then add crumbled goat cheese.
9. Serve with dressing.