Applebee's Crispy Orange Chicken Bowl

By Resk8r

Ingredients

• Orange Glaze
• 1/4 tsp minced garlic
• 1 tbl vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup silvered almonds
• 1 cup orange juice
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 3 tbl orange marmalade
• 2 tbl soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp parsley flakes
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• pinch of dried thyme
• 1 tbl rice wine vinegar
• Almond-Rice Pilaf
• 3 tbl butter
• 1/4 cup diced onion
• 1/4 cup diced celery
• 1 cup converted rice
• 2 1/4 cups chicken broth
• Pinch of salt
• 1 tsp parsley flakes
• 1/4 cup slivered almonds, plus extra for garnish
• Vegetables
• 1 1/2 cups broccoli florets
• 1 cup sliced red bell pepper
• 3/4 cup sugar snap or snow peas
• 1/4 cup shredded carrot
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms (optional)
• Chicken
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 tbl vegetable oil, plus extra for frying
• 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 2 inch pieces
• 1/2 cup plus 1 tbl corn starch
• 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• Topping
• 1/2 cup crispy chow mein noodles

Details

Servings 4

Preparation

Step 1

1. Do ahead: To make the orange glaze, lightly saute' the minced garlic in the vegetable oil - don't let the garlic burn, or it will taste bitter. Add all the remaining ingredients and bring the mixture to a boil; then reduce the heat and simmer until the sauce has thickened to a glaze consistency, 12 to 15 minutes. It can be reheated if necessary.
2. Do ahead: Make the almond-rice pilaf. Heat the butter and lightly saute' the onion and celery until tender, but not browned. Add teh rice and stir until all the grains are coated wtih the butter and have turned opaque. Add the chicken broth, salt, and parsley flakes and bring to a boil, then cover tightly and reduce the heat to low. Cook the rice until all the broth has been absorbed, 12 to 15 minutes. Stir in the almonds while fluffing the pilaf with a fork (using a spoon will mash the grains and make the pilaf gummy). The rice can be reheated if necessary.
3. Steam the vegetables in a steamer basket on the stovetop or in a microwave. To save some time, you can use a bag of frozen Asian-style vegetables, available at the supermarket.
4. To make the chicken: Whisk the egg with the salt, black pepper, and the 1 tbl vegetable oil and add the chicken pieces. In a separate bowl, combine the cornstarch and flour, mixing well. Add the chicken pieces a couple at a time and coat them thoroughly with the cornstarch mixture, then set them side by side on a baking sheet. finish the whole batch this way. Fry the coated chicken pieces in vegetable oil until they are a light golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes - do not overcook, or the chicken will be tough. Remove the pieces with a slotted spoon to drain on paper towels.
5. To serve, toss the chicken and vegetables in the orange glaze and seve over a bed of almond-rice pilaf, topped with the crispy noodles and garnished with slivered almonds