Yes, I'm patting myself on the back.

Remember that confession a while ago about how I was actually posting OLD Yummy Monday dinners so that I could get them up before 11 pm, and therefore get some kind of relaxation on a whirlwind cooking day?  It's been working really well, I'd say.  Most of the time you wouldn't even know it, except when I talk about leftovers and how my kids actually ate them (or refused to)...  and I don't have to shop, cook, set the table, take photos, eat, clear, bathe children, put them to bed, edit photos, upload photos, blog, type up recipes, add wit and dry humor you all appreciate so much, and then finally drop into bed.  I feel pretty good about that part.
The one problem with this system, is that I often find my recipes while at the grocery store - sitting in my car on my phone... which means that when I do get around to blogging the photos and recipes, the recipes are generally lost because I forgot to bookmark them in any way.  It's ridiculous.  Hey, wait a minute... that's what pinterest is for, ISN'T IT???


Anyway... you can imagine my delight when after ages of scouring the web for the correct Chocolate Orange Torte recipe, and almost giving up entirely and giving you some faker recipe and passing it off as the right one (I would NEVER do that...) I finally, FINALLY found it.  Or maybe you can't imagine my delight.  Your imagination probably doesn't do that gleeful...


In any case.  I found it.  You're welcome.  I also found the dinner recipe, which was Asian Orange Chicken (and it wasn't as difficult, surprisingly, considering all the asian orange chicken recipes there are out there...)


Orange you glad I searched until I found them for you???  (Oooo, I know.  Clever, right?)


So, here is your very orange-y dinner.  First up, Lightened up Orange Chicken, from Cordon Pink.


Orange Chicken 

•  Chicken:
  1 lb Skinless Boneless Chicken breasts cut into bite size pieces
  4 Tablespoons Flour
  Salt and Pepper
  1 Tablespoon Vegetable or Canola Oil
  Steamed Broccoli
  Sauce:
  1/3 Cup Orange Juice
  ½ Cup Rice Wine Vinegar 
  ½ Cup White Sugar
  2.5 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
  1 Tablespoon Orange Zest
  ½ Tablespoon Toasted Sesame Oil
  2 Teaspoons Corn Starch
  1 Tablespoon Red Pepper flakes 
  Add flour, salt and pepper to a medium ziplock bag.  Add chicken and toss until all chicken pieces are evenly coated.  Heat oil over medium high heat in a large skillet.  Add chicken pieces and cook for 3 minutes until browned on one side and then turn over and cook another 3 minutes until cooked through. Turn heat down to very low and add enough sauce to fit your tastes. 
  Mix corn starch into orange juice until lumps are gone.  Add orange juice mixture and rest of the ingredients together in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Bring to a boil and cook until sauce thickens and coats the back of a spoon – about five minutes.  If it doesn’t get thick, then add a little more cornstarch dissolved in water. 

This was very tasty.  The recipe itself looks kind of complicated at first glance, but it's not too bad.  You could serve it over noodles or rice - I chose rice.  I also added chunks of orange to the sauce at the very end - right before it was serves, so it got mixed in with the sauce, but not too mushy and hot.  It's yummy enough to try again.  


Now, have you ever tried those chocolate oranges that come out in the stores around Christmastime?  The kind you tap on the counter and the sphere splits into wedges?  (When I was a kid, that was the best part - better than actually eating it.)  This is a CAKE that tastes like THAT.  I know, right?!?  It's Chocolate Orange Torte from Yummly.


Chocolate Orange Torte

2 1/4 OZ slivered almonds

4 Oranges

20 Oz Double Chocolate Muffin Mix

1 C sugar

Heat oven to 375° F. Lightly coat a 9-inch round cake pan with vegetable cooking spray.  Finely chop the almonds. Grate 1 teaspoon orange zest from one of the oranges and cut strips of zest from another to use for garnish. Squeeze 1 1/2 cups juice from the oranges.  Prepare the muffin mix according to the label directions but substitute 3/4 cup of the orange juice for water and blend in the chopped almonds and grated zest. Pour into pan. Bake 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool torte in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan.  Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine the sugar and the remaining 3/4 cup orange juice. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly reduced and thickened, about 10 minutes. To serve, spoon the sauce over the torte and garnish with the orange-zest strips.

Ok.  So mine is NOT the prettiest version.  I had a little sinkage happening on top.  BUT, taste's more important, right?  And do you SEE all that gooey chocolate-y goodness?  Mmm.  
Was it worth all the insane work to come up with the recipe again?  Yes, I do believe so.  Make good use of it, people.  You're welcome.

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