Orange Chicken: From Crock Pot to Stir Fry

A conversation with a friend about reusing leftovers ended up being the genesis for this blog. I had thrown a party for twenty, but cooked enough for thirty. My friend was helping in the kitchen afterwards and lamented the amount of food that would go to waste. I told her that I would use it all. She replied that her kids did not like leftovers. I then explained that I don’t serve leftovers; I use leftovers to create new meals. She asked me to give her some recipes demonstrating how I used my leftovers and a blog was born.

This is a repost of the first recipe set that I posted. My recipes are very forgiving! Make them your own by altering the ingredients to reflect what is in season or what you have in excess in your refrigerator.

Day 1: Orange Chicken, Rice, and Glazed Carrots

Orange Chicken
1 whole chicken
1 large orange, zested and juiced (save rinds)
1/4 C orange juice
1/2 C honey
2 T soy sauce
2 T chopped ginger root
1T sesame seeds
Place the orange rinds in the chicken cavity. Place the chicken in the slow cooker. Combine orange zest, orange juice, honey, soy sauce, and ginger root. Pour over the chicken. Cover. Cook on low for 8 hours. Remove orange rinds and serve.
Rice
You can make your favorite rice; my favorite is Trader Joe’s Basmati Medley. This is how I prepare it:

Brown 1 small onion and 4 cloves of garlic in 2 T. of olive oil. To this add the entire bag of rice and 5 cups of either water or chicken broth. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover with a lid and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let it sit covered for 5 minutes. This makes a lot (serves 10 – 12) so I either plan to use it in leftovers or freeze it and pull it out on a busy night to shorten meal prep.

Glazed Carrots
32 oz. carrots
2 T butter
2 T sugar
2 t parsley
pinch of salt
bottled water (you can use sparkling mineral water if you want)

Cut carrots into 1/2 inch thick pieces. Melt butter and glaze sugar in it. Pour some water in until sugar is completely dissolved. Add carrots. Add salt and a little water, constantly stirring carrots. The liquid should always be at a minimum and should be completely dissolved when carrots are “al dente”. To finish, add parsley. Total cooking time: 15 minutes.

After dinner remove chicken meat from bones and cube meat. The chicken bones can be used to make stock if you wish. Refrigerate left over meat, rice, and carrots in separate bowls.

Day 2: Orange-Ginger Stir Fry Over Rice

2/3 C orange juice
2 t cornstarch
1 – 2 T olive oil
1 T grated ginger root
2 C broccoli flowerets
left over carrots
1 – 2 C cubed chicken
1/4 C sliced almonds or chopped walnuts(optional if there is not much chicken)
left over rice

Mix orange juice and cornstarch in a small bowl. Set aside.

Preheat wok or skillet over high heat. Add oil. Stir fry ginger root in hot oil for 20 – 30 seconds (be careful not to burn). Add broccoli and stir-fry to 4 minutes. Add left over carrots, chicken, and nuts. Stir-fry for 1 minute. Push vegetables and chicken to the side of the pan. Pour sauce in the center of the wok. Stir continuously until thick and bubbly. Mix vegetables and chicken with sauce and stir until completely coated.

Serve over reheated left over rice.

Day 3: Lunch Ideas

Option 1: If you still have some unused chicken add it to a green salad and toss with Asian sesame salad dressing.

Option 2: If you still have leftover rice and chicken. Mix together. Add 2 T almond slivers, 1/4 cup mandarin oranges, and 1-2 chopped green onions. Toss with Asian sesame salad dressing and serve cold.

This post has been linked to Slow Cooking Thursday.