Orange chicken

Approx. 280 Calories per serving. Recipe serves 1.

The other day while wandering the aisles of the grocery store looking for something to make for dinner, I spotted this bottle of Panda Express Orange Sauce. I actually let out a squeal of delight, I was so excited to see it.
Sometimes while I'm out running errands, I get a craving for the Panda's orange chicken. I thought this would be a perfect way to make a lower fat version of the dish at home. Well, it wasn't. Maybe it's because I didn't bread and fry the chicken. Maybe it's because I didn't add oil to the dish. Maybe it's because I didn't use enough sauce. I'm not sure, but it just didn't have the same flavor or texture. The sauce ended up a bit runny and watery, and soaked into the chicken, rather than providing the thick, sticky, syrupy coating that I like at the restaurant.

So, while it wasn't bad (I ate the meal and will continue to use the sauce - it is ok when used as a dipping sauce or poured over a slice of grilled chicken) it was a poor substitute for the real thing. I think that when I want to make a stir fry with a cloyingly sweet sauce in the future, I will stick to the East-West brand (they have a zesty orange sauce). Plus, the ingredient list on the East-West bottle lists about 10 things, all of which are actual foods. Panda's label lists about 30 items, many consisting of very long chemicals.
Ingredients

• 4 oz boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 2 cups snow peas
• 2 Tbs. orange sauce (use your favorite brand)
• 1/2 cup water
  

Directions

1. Bring water to a simmer in a frying pan.
2. Add chicken and cook until completely white.
3. Cut cooked chicken into bite sized chunks.
4. Add snow peas to chicken and remaining water.
5. Evaporate off any remaining water.
6. Add orange sauce and mix well.