Orange Chicken and Vegetable Stir Fry

By peridot728

Ingredients

• Stir-Fry Ingredients:
• 1 1/2 Tbsp cooking Oil (I used extra light olive oil)
• 1 small onion, finely diced
• 1 lb to 1 1/4 lb chicken thighs, trimmed and cut into 1" pieces
• 5-6 cups broccoli florets (from 1 large head of broccoli)
• 1 bunch asparagus spears, bases trimmed and cut into 1" pieces
• 1 large carrot, sliced into matchsticks
• Marinade Ingredients:
• 1/4 cup cold water
• 1/2 Tbsp corn starch
• 1/2 Tbsp grated orange zest (zest from 1/2 orange)
• 1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (from the same orange)
• 4 Tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tsp sesame oil
• 1 Tbsp fresh ginger, grated
• 3 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 2 Tbsp honey
• Serving/Garnish:
• Toasted sesame seeds (medium heat 2 minutes, tossing frequently)
• 6 cups of hot cooked white rice (= 2 cups dry rice)

Details

Adapted from natashaskitchen.com

Preparation

Step 1

In a bowl, whisk together the ¼ cup cold water and ½ Tbsp starch, then whisk in the rest of the Marinade Ingredients: ½ Tbsp orange zest, ½ cup fresh OJ, 4 Tbsp soy sauce, 2 tsp sesame oil, 1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger, 3 minced garlic cloves and 2 Tbsp honey.

Add ¼ of your marinade to your prepared chicken thigh meat, stir and let it marinate while preparing the rest of your veggies (15-30 min).
Heat a large wok or heavy-bottomed saute pan over high heat. Add ½ cup water. As soon as it boils, add broccoli, carrot and asparagus. Cover and let it steam cook for 2 minutes over high heat until the veggies are crisp tender and bright green. Remove veggies to a bowl then rinse and dry your pan.

Again, heat the pan over high heat and stir in 1½ Tbsp oil. Add diced onion and saute 1 minute, stirring constantly.

Add the marinated chicken to the hot skillet in a single layer. Let the chicken sit untouched for 2 minutes until browned, then stir to brown the other side. Once chicken is almost cooked, add the reserved marinade and simmer 3 minutes or until sauce thickens. Stir in the vegetables and continue to cook another minute. Chicken should be fully cooked. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and serve over hot rice.
Notes

Tips for success: Peel your ginger with a spoon. It comes off really easily!