Growing up I despised what I knew as Chinese food. What we always got was greasy, over breaded, over sauced American take-out Chinese food.  It was terrible.  This aversion became a fairly serious problem for me when I was first invited over to my future mother-in-law’s house for dinner.  She is from Taiwan and was going to make us home-cooked Chinese food for dinner.  I was distraught.  I hated Chinese food, but I did not want to offend my boyfriend’s family by turning up my nose to his mother’s cooking. With not a little trepidation I took the first bite and, eureka, I fell in love with Chinese cooking.  Nothing was heavily breaded, the sauces were not candy shop sweet, and the food was not swimming in grease.  Since then I have spent a lot of time watching over my mother-in-law’s shoulder to learn her recipes.  She is very kind to let me help prepare meals so I can recreate them at home. Below is my take on orange chicken with fried rice.  The chicken is fried, but since it only has a light coating of cornstarch it is not too heavy.  I like my orange chicken spicy which is why I used 4 whole dried red chilies.  You can omit the chilies if you want, or replace them with crushed red pepper flakes if you can’t find them.   The fried rice is pretty basic and you can use any vegetables you prefer.  The combination below is what I like, and what my mother-in-law uses.  Overall the chicken is tangy, spicy and a little sweet while the fried rice is the perfect savory contrast. Orange Chicken with Fried Rice      Serves 4-6 For the orange chicken: Oil for frying 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2″ cubes 1/4 cup cornstarch 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 1 cup fresh squeezed orange juice 1 cup water 2 tablespoons lime juice 2 tablespoons lemon juice 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar 3 – 2″ strips of orange zest 1/2 cup lightly packed brown sugar 1/2 teaspoon minced ginger 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 tablespoons light soy sauce 3-4 dried red chilies, broken in half 2 tablespoons cornstarch 2 tablespoons water 1/4 cup sliced green onions, green part only For the fried rice: 3 cups cooked medium grain rice, cooled to room temperature 2 tablespoons canola oil, divided 2 eggs, beaten well 1/2 cup diced onion 1/2 cup diced carrot 1/3 cup diced celery 1 cup sliced mushrooms 1 cup bean sprouts 2 tablespoons light soy sauce In a heavy bottom pot heat about an inch of vegetable or canola oil to about 375F. Heat the oven to 250F. In a large zip top bag combine the cornstarch, salt and pepper. Add the chicken chunks and seal the bag. Toss to coat completely. Add the coated chicken to the hot oil in two or three batches. Cook until lightly golden and the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 160 F. Transfer the cooked … Continue reading Orange Chicken with Fried Rice