Orange Chicken

The other night I decided I wanted to try something different than was on the menu so I made this yummy dish...it passed with everyone with flying colors :)

Chicken:
2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts (cut into 1 1/2" cubes)
1 1/2 cups flour
1 egg (beaten)
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
Oil (for frying)

Orange Sauce:
1 1/2 cups water
2 TBL orange juice (I used half of fresh squeezed orange juice)
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/3 cup rice vinegar (I didn't have so I just used white vinegar)
2 1/2 TBL soy sauce
1 TBL orange zest--grated (I used the orange zest from the orange and squeezed)
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp ginger root--minced (I didn't have so I used ginger powder)
1/2 tsp garlic--minced
2 TBL green onion--chopped (I didn't have so I didn't use it)
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
3 TBL cornstarch
2 TBL water

Combine flour, salt, and pepper. Dip chicken in egg mixture and shake in flour mixture to coat. Fry chicken in wok until completely cooked. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan combine 1 1/2 cups water, lemon juice, orange juice, vinegar, and soy sauce. Blend well over medium heat for a few minutes. Stir in brown sugar, orange zest, ginger garlic, and onion. Bring to a boil. Combine 3 TBL of cornstarch w/ 1/4 cup of water and mix thoroughly. Slowly stir cornstarch mixture into sauce until it thickens. Pour sauce over breaded chicken, and if desired add red pepper flakes and garnish with green onions. (The more red pepper flakes you add, the warmer the chicken. I will definitely add the green onions next time just to give it a little different flavor.) I served this dish over rice. It's delicious...we'll definitely be adding it to our regular menu!!! :)


ETA (August 22): I made this again this week. I had a lot of fresh veggies in the fridge as well as an open can of pineapple. Added it to the orange chicken...definitely gave it a different taste but still very yummy! More like a sweet & sour chicken this time around :)