Takeout? Nope.

We're still on the hunt for a good Chinese takeout place.  In this area, good food is usually not hard to find, but for some reason none of them are "doing it" for us lately.  They're good, but not great.  

Time to get busy in the kitchen.  

I don't have to tell you that homemade Chinese food is better for you...less greasy, you have control over ingredients, blah blah blah...and in this case, just like with a few of my other dishes, it tastes way better.

Unfortunately, we'll still have to hunt around - with me recently going back to work we need options once in a while.  Sometimes I just don't have the time to devote to cooking.  But, it's nice to know that dishes can be replicated very easily when I'm not so busy.

Grab your chopsticks and enjoy!

Orange Chicken with Green Beans
slightly adapted from Blogchef

For the chicken:
2 pounds boneless chicken breasts, cut into chunks
1 1/2 cups AP flour
1 egg, beaten
salt and pepper (a few pinches of each)
vegetable oil, for frying

For the sauce:
1 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons orange juice
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/3 cup rice vinegar
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon orange zest
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ginger root, minced
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
1/2 pound green beans, ends trimmed, slightly undercooked
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)
sesame seeds (optional)
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 cup water

Combine flour, salt and pepper in a bowl.  Dip chicken in egg mixture, followed by flour (shake off excess). Deep fry (or use a wok or skillet) until completely cooked.

In a large saucepan, combine water, orange juice, lemon juice, vinegar and soy sauce.  Blend well over medium heat for a few minutes.  Stir in sugar, zest, ginger and garlic.  Bring to a boil.

Combine cornstarch with 1/4 cup water and mix thoroughly.  Slowly stir cornstarch mixture into sauce until it thickens.  Pour sauce over chicken, add green beans, and mix until everything is evenly coated.  Top with red pepper and sesame seeds if desired.  Serve with rice.

Serves 4-6.

Linked to: Tastetastic Thursday