mandarin orange chicken : weeknight recipe

my parents purchased easy chinese stir-fries by helen chen & i haven't had a bad recipe from it yet. this is one of my personal favorites as it is very easy to make & healthier than the fried option. this was the 2nd meal i made in my new apartment!

• 2 teaspoons chinese rice wine or dry sherry
• 3 teaspoons corstarch
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into 3/4 inch cubes
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons frozen orange juice concentrate
• 4 tablespoons canola oil
• 4 ounces snow peas, ends & strings removed (omitted because i'm not a fan)
• 2-4 dried chile peppers, seeds removed (i used chili powder instead. 2 teaspoons equals one chili. you can vary this depending on your tastes)
• 1 garlic clove, crushed & peeled
• 2 slices fresh ginger, unpeeled
• 1 11 ounce can of mandarin oranges, drained

1. in a bowl, combine the cornstarch & sherry/wine. add chicken & mix well.
2. in another bowl, combine sugar, vinegar, soy sauce & orange juice concentrate.
3. if using snow peas : in your wok/skillet, heat 1 tablespooon canola oil on medium heat until the pan is hot. add the snow peas & cook about 30 seconds or until they are dark green. remove from pan.
4. add the garlic & ginger to the pan, stir.
5. turn the heat up to high & add the chicken. stir for 1 minute, then add the orange sauce & continue stirring until chicken is done. remove the garlic & ginger, then add the mandarin oranges & stir for another minute.
6. serve over white rice & enjoy! if using snow peas, add them as well.
   

in other news, i'm settling into my apartment quite nicely! my parents helped me move in this past weekend & since then i've been organizing & decorating. i'm so in love with my apartment & i'm glad i chose this one! one of my roommates moved in today so i've been helping her get settled. i've got plenty of errands to run tomorrow & i've been spending some time with my girls tubing on the river. hope everyone is having a great week!