Blood Orange Chicken; Alternately titled "My kitchen is my laboratory"

Let's just start off with a few things; a) orange chicken is like, SO GOOD, b) I have recently developed an obsession with creating Asian inspired dishes c) I have the inability to follow recipes, ever, which leads me to my last point, d) I am to my kitchen as a scientist is to his laboratory.

Earlier this week I got a craving for some Asian style chicken, and after skimming a few recipes online to get the general idea of what items I should buy, I decided to just wing it (pun totally intended.) When I got to the store I knew I was going to have to buy oranges because I had decided I wanted to make a crispy, orange chicken dish.

As I strolled through the produce section, I came to a screeching halt when I nearly walked past the blood oranges. If you know anything about me, at all, you know that one of my favorite fruits is the blood orange. I mean, I know, they pretty much taste the same. And no, I am not a Twilight/True Blood/Vampire Diaries fan, so that isn't what the allure is. I think I just like them because they are pretty. Okay, maybe I was a huge Carrie fan, (and I mean the 1976 version, not the 2002 remake where Carrie googles "telekinesis")

Anyway, getting totally off topic here. So yeah. I bought blood oranges. And proceeded to create Blood Orange Chicken!

You will need:

• One pound boneless chicken breast, cut into strips or cubes
• One clove minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup slivered almonds
• Juice from two blood oranges
• About 2 teaspoons blood orange zest
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon fresh parsley
• A pinch red pepper flakes
• A pinch of dried thyme
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• A pinch of black pepper
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup corn starch
• 1/4 cup flour
• vegetable oil for frying
• water

Step one: Heat 1 teaspoon vegetable oil and minced garlic in a frying pan. After about thirty seconds, add in blood orange juice, zest, almonds, sugar, soy sauce, parsley, red pepper, thyme, and rice vinegar. Bring down to a simmer, and cover. After about five minutes, add 4 tablespoons water and continue to simmer for another five or ten minutes. Remove from heat.

Step two: In a medium bowl, whisk together egg, 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, salt and pepper. Add chicken.

Step three: In a medium bowl, combine corn starch and flour. Take the egg covered chicken and coat it in the flour/starch mixture. Set aside. Repeat until all of the chicken is covered in flour.

Step four: Heat vegetable oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add chicken, a few pieces at a time, being sure that they are not overlapping. Cook about about five minutes each (until golden,) flipping over halfway through. Place on paper towels to absorb excess oil.

Step five: Toss chicken in with the blood orange sauce.

I served my chicken with brown rice and stir fried veggies (broccoli, bamboo shoots and mushrooms stir fried with peanut oil, soy sauce, and red pepper flakes.) This dish came out absolutely amazing. I highly suggest you try this.