Did you ever notice that many of your favorite memories involve food somehow? I know it's true for me.
When I was in college I vividly remember being trapped in a dorm room with my best friends as Hurricane Isaac made his way up the coast. It rained so hard it flooded, the wind was brutal, there was NO WAY we were going to the dining hall. Local pizzerias weren't delivering due to the weather, so our last ditch effort for food was chinese. When we called, they happily claimed "it's just a little rain!" and we had chinese delivered directly to our dorm in 15 minutes. I think we indulged in a little bit of lo mein and a lot of cheap wine that night. Ahhhh, college memories!
I still indulge in some delivery chinese food every now and then, but when I'm looking for a cheaper (and healthier!) option, this is my go-to recipe. Trust me, I'm not trying to compete with your local chinese delivery, that stuff is unbeatable! But here's my take on chinese take out and I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.
Ingredients:
Basmati or Jasmine rice
Frozen popcorn chicken, about 3 cups
Fresh or frozen broccoli, 2 cups
Soy sauce, 3/4 cup, plus more for serving
Crushed garlic, 2 tablespoons
Cooking oil, 3/4 cup (I suggest vegetable or peanut oil)
Dried ginger, 1/2 teaspoon
Orange marmalade, 1/2 jar (approximately 1 cup)
Honey, 2 tablespoons
Vinegar, 1/4 cup (white or apple cider will do)
Orange juice, 3 tablespoons
Suggested garnish- orange slices, almonds, sliced scallions, sesame seeds
Step One
Cook your rice according to the package directions
Step Two
Place half the garlic and all of the soy sauce in a saucepan with the broccoli. Cook on medium-low with a lid until broccoli is tender.
Step Three
Heat cooking oil on medium-high until smoking in a deep pan. Add popcorn chicken all at once. Stir frequently until all pieces are crispy, approximately 20 minutes.
Step Four
In a small bowl combine remaining garlic, marmalade, vinegar, orange juice, honey, and ginger. Wisk together. When the chicken is finished cooking, mix orange sauce with chicken until coated.
Layer your plate with rice, orange chicken, and broccoli.
Garnish and grab your chipsticks, it's dinner time. Oh, and get some cheap wine while you're at it 😉
Happy cooking, happy eating!