Orange Sesame Chicken

This was very popular in our house the night I made it.  Even in spite of the fact that I served it with a side of broccoli.  I was surprised at how good it was and it's relatively easy and quick!  The recipe comes from a wonderful food blog called Jamie Cooks It Up that I discovered through (what else) Pinterest.  Jamie has lots of delicious recipes, all with beautiful photos - you should check her out.

Now this recipe calls for a few ingredients that not everyone has on hand (I do, but that's because I cook a lot of Asian-inspired food).  You'll need rice vinegar, sesame oil, and sesame seeds.  Personally, I think it's worth investing in these ingredients (they really aren't expensive) because I have a feeling you will add this recipe into your weekly or monthly routine.  And they are ingredients that can be used in lots of other tasty recipes like Chinese Chicken Salad, Teriyaki Chicken, and Korean BBQ Beef, to name a few.

ORANGE SESAME CHICKEN
from Jamie Cooks It Up!

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup flour
1/8 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. olive oil

Sauce:
1/2 cup fresh orange juice (from 2 large oranges)
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
3 Tbsp. rice vinegar
4 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. orange zest (1 orange should be enough)
1/4 cup cold water
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. sesame oil
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1 Tbsp. cornstarch

Garnish:
1Tbsp. toasted sesame seeds
sliced green onion, if desired

Mix flour and salt in a medium sized bowl.  Cut chicken into bite-sized chunks and toss in the flour mixture, making sure all sides are coated.

Mix together all sauce ingredients in a bowl and set aside.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over med-high heat.  Add chicken pieces to skillet (I did this in two batches) and brown on both sides.  Reduce heat to med-low and add sauce to skillet; stir to coat chicken and simmer for 5-10 minutes, or until sauce is thickened and chicken is cooked through.  Garnish with sesame seeds and green onions, if desired.  Goes well with steamed rice.