Healthy(ish) Orange Chicken

Healthy Orange Chicken - made July 13, 2013 from Eat Well Living Thin

Okay, first, let me say this is an easy recipe to make.  Second, despite that, I still screwed it up.  Sigh.  Look at the directions.  Honestly, how hard could it be?  The answer is not hard at all....unless you don't use enough orange juice, don't have enough liquid for the sauce and adding cornstarch doesn't thicken the little sauce you have so much as makes it clumpy.  Seriously, it's not false modesty that makes me say I can't really cook.  It's just honesty.

Regardless of my screw up (note to self: 1 orange doesn't make 3/4 cup of orange juice, no matter how big or juicy the orange is), this dish was pretty tasty.  It just could've used more sauce.  Or I didn't need to use as much chicken as I did. Or both.  And since I'm admitting my failings, let me also throw in that I didn't have the patience to coat all of the chicken pieces in cornstarch. I gave up halfway through and just tossed in the rest of the chicken and stir-fried them. Yes, I have the patience to sift through a bag of M&Ms to find all the red and blue ones and line them up to make a flag decoration but I didn't have the patience to coat some chicken pieces in cornstarch.  Oh well.  I think that means I deserve to eat what I cook.

Marinade:
1/2 cup orange juice
1 teaspoon orange zest
2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon sesame seed oil
1/2 teaspoon salt

1 pound chicken breast tenders, cut into 1-inch chunks
1/2 cup cornstarch

Sauce:
3/4 cup orange juice
1 teaspoon orange zest
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
5 teaspoons Splenda granular
4 teaspoons sugar-free OR regular honey OR Agave
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
Pinch red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons cornstarch
Kosher salt
Sliced green onions
Sesame seeds, optional

1. Marinade: In a medium bowl combine orange juice, orange zest, soy sauce, sesame oil, and salt. Add chicken tenders and stir to coat. Allow to marinate for 25-30 minutes.
2. Sauce: In a small saucepan combine orange juice, orange zest, chicken broth, Splenda, honey, soy sauce, oil, garlic, and apple cider vinegar. Bring to a boil; lower heat to a simmer and cook until liquid is reduced by 1/4. Season with salt to taste. Stir the 2 teaspoons cornstarch with a small amount of cold water and add to the sauce. Bring back to a boil and cook for 1-2 minutes, or until thickened. Set aside, but keep warm.
3. In a large bowl or ziploc bag add the 1/2 cup of cornstarch. Drain the chicken and toss with the cornstarch, shaking off excess. In a large skillet heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil over medium-high. Add chicken and cook until golden and meat is cooked through. Gently toss cooked chicken with the sauce and sesame seeds, if using, and serve. Makes 4 servings.  (About 1/2 cup each.)