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Orange Chick'n

October 15, 2018

[Recipe makes roughly 1-1/2 cups of orange sauce and serves four].

Orange "chick'n" is a dish that is great any time of the year, but being that Halloween is just around the corner, the colors from the orange and black make this dish especially appropriate to serve up in October.  As pictured in this post, we incorporated roasted cauliflower into the dish, but other options include tofu or seitan.  Whichever option you choose, the keys are to use a cooking method that will result in a crisp bite, as well as to serve the orange "chick'n" right after it has been coated in the orange sauce to maintain the crispiness that you worked hard to get.

The orange sauce has a little bit of everything going on:  sweetness, saltiness, tanginess, smokiness, as well as a refreshing feel from the ginger.  If you're looking for a new Asian-influenced sauce to add to your collection for stir-fries, this one is a winner.

INGREDIENTS:

Rice:
6 cups water
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1-1/2 cups brown basmati rice

Protein:
1 (14-ounce) pack firm tofu, OR
1 pound seitan, OR
1 head cauliflower

Sauce:
1 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons liquid aminos
3 tablespoons organic brown sugar
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced ginger

1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 cup water

Garnish:
Scallions, to garnish
Smoked sesame seeds, to garnish
Fresh orange slices, to garnish

DIRECTIONS:

The order of operations for this recipe will depend on if you wish to use tofu, seitan, or cauliflower as your protein.  Tofu can either be baked or pan-fried, seitan can be pan-fried, and cauliflower can be roasted.  Choose your favorite way to prepare the protein of your choice.

Begin on the rice by bringing the water and bay leaves to a boil in a sauce pot.  Add the salt and rice, and stir once.  Partially cover the pot and reduce to a simmer.  Check the rice after 15 minutes.  [Side note:  Depending on what type of rice you use, this time could vary].  Once the rice is ready, drain off any excess water.  Fluff with a fork and let sit for five minutes before serving.

For the sauce, add the orange juice, liquid aminos, brown sugar, rice vinegar, sesame oil, garlic, and ginger to a sauce pot.  Whisk to combine and bring to a boil.  In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch and water to make a slurry.  Whisk the slurry into the sauce to thicken.  Turn off the heat.

To serve, toss your tofu, seitan, or cauliflower with the sauce, and top over the rice.  Garnish with scallions, sesame seeds, and orange slices.

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3 comments

  1. Hi there! Two questions: In what section of the grocery store would you find liquid aminos, and what does it add to the sauce? (ie What would the sauce be like without it?) Thanks!

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    1. It could be in a few different areas (by the other soy sauces, vinegars, or in the "health aisle"). I would definitely recommend keeping it in the sauce, as most of the umami/saltiness comes from the sauce. If you can't find it, any variation of soy sauce will work.

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    2. Ok, that's helpful to know--thank you!

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