Vegan Orange Chicken

Ingredients:

-1 cup Freshly Squeeze Orange Juice, strained

-1 tablespoon Ginger, grated

-1 tablespoon Orange Zest

-1 1/2 tablespoons Garlic, minced

-1 tablespoon Red Wine Vinegar

-2 tablespoons Soy Sauce

-2 tablespoons Sesame Oil

-3 tablespoons Brown Sugar

-1 tablespoon Chili Flakes

-1 tablespoon Corn Starch

-1 tablespoon Water

-1 teaspoon Garlic Powder (optional)

-Green Onions, thinly sliced (for garnish)

-Vegan Popcorn Chicken (recipe below)

Directions:

Heat one tablespoon of the sesame oil in a small sauce pan. Add chili flakes, garlic, orange zest, and ginger to the oil. Sauté until fragrant
Add the orange juice to the pan and bring to a simmer. Then, add vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, and the remaining sesame oil. Bring to a boil
Make a slurry in a small bowl by combining corn starch and water. Add this mixture to the sauce along with the garlic powder
Reduce the orange sauce until it has thickened (for about ten minutes)
In a large bowl, coat the vegan popcorn chicken in the orange sauce. Serve with rice and garnish with the green onions

Vegan Popcorn Chicken

Ingredients:

-1 14 oz. pack of Tofu, Defrosted

-1 1/2 cup All-purpose Flour

-2 tablespoons Cornstarch

-1 1/2 tablespoon Better Than Bouillon No Chicken Base

-Hot Sauce of Choice (I used Frank’s Red Hot)

The following seasonings to taste:

-Trader Joe’s Vegan Chickenless Seasoning Salt (optional)

-Smoked Paprika

-Seasoned Salt

-Garlic Powder

-Dried Thyme

-Ground Oregano

-Water as needed

-Oil for frying

Directions:

Prep the tofu. The night before, place tofu package in the freezer and freeze until solid. Defrost the tofu the following day. You can repeat this process (freezing and defrosting) if you would like the tofu to be dryer
Take tofu out of the package and ring out the water. You can also use paper towels to help you but your hands should suffice (the tofu is now strong enough to handle the squeezing from your hands)
Rip tofu into bit-sized pieces and season with all the seasonings listed
Heat about 1 inch of oil in a large pan on medium heat
Make the batter. Place flour, corn starch, and all seasonings, except the Vegan Chickenless Seasoning, into a large bowl. Whisk in water to achieve a consistency slightly thinner than pancake batter. Then add the Better the Bouillon to the batter and mix well. Adjust seasonings to your taste
Place the bit-sized pieces of tofu into the batter. Gently fold the tofu into the batter with a slotted spoon
Gently place tofu pieces into the hot oil using the slotted spoon to knock off the excess batter