by Doug Hartill | Dec 14, 2020 | Main Courses, Recipes, Sauces
Orange Chicken and Panda Express go together like the Big Mac and McDonald’s and the Whopper and Burger King. When you pick up your Combo Plate, you always have to fill one of your entrees with the delicious sweet and tangy, Orange Chicken.
Panda Express seems to be a staple in most strip malls or shopping centers. Currently as of the writing of this post, they are only in 45 states with the only holdouts in the North East of the US. (Sorry Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Rhode Island.)
Finding this recipe was a difficult task and took a while to perfect, but this is my best guess and I think it comes pretty dang close.
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Orange Chicken from Panda Express
The timeless classic that is Orange Chicken from Panda Express. It is quick and easy to make and sure to please everyone.
Instructions
Cooking and Serving
Trim the Chicken into bite sized chunks. Throw the chicken bites into a couple ziplock bags and add the egg, salt, pepper, flour, corn starch, and soy sauce. Slowly add water to make this an even coated batter. Let this sit in the fridge for 1 hour.
Heat up some oil for frying (enough to cover the chicken). Fry the chicken until golden brown. Drain the chicken and wait 3 minutes before adding them into the sauce.
Sauce Prep
Add all sauce ingredients into a pot and heat until a slow simmer, constantly stirring. Cook until a dark golden brown.
by Doug Hartill | Nov 25, 2019 | Recipes, Sauces
Today we are going to be taking a look at a KILLER Spicy Marinara Sauce. Nothing says Italian Cuisine more than a classic tomato marinara sauce. Nowadays we are saving time by opening those bottled or canned marinara sauces at the cost of flavor. Who makes the best spicy marinara sauce? I have to say that the best marinara sauce is the one you slow cook at home!
Most American’s have no idea what true, homemade marinara sauce tastes like. So let me be your genuine Italian Guido and fix that. NEVER EVER buy canned marinara sauce again. It’s expensive, you lose flavor and nutrients, and this one tastes much much better.
Sure it will add some time to your day, but YOLO right? Why waste your life with crappy marinara sauce?
Now this recipe is going to take some time, so buckle up partner, I never said it would be easy, I just said that it would be worth it.
Check out our Rattlesnake Bites Copycat Recipe to pair with this marinara.
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Killer Marinara Sauce
A classic tomato sauce with a spicy kick that is not overpowering. This will be an instant classic in your home and can be made in large batches and saved for later.
Instructions
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Take your tomatoes and steam them for 10-15 minutes. This is to release the skin from the tomatoes. Peel the tomatoes and set aside.
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Heat up the oil and saute the onion for about 5-6 minutes on medium heat. Add the Basil, Garlic, and Spices and add the tomatoes one by one smashing them with a potato masher or your hands, whichever you prefer.
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Let the pot simmer for as long as you can let it simmer. Normally, this is about an hour so that all the flavors can marry.
by Doug Hartill | Feb 20, 2019 | Recipes, Sauces
Lime Cilantro and Jalapeños. How can that be bad at all! This stuff is pure gold. It is a spicy and fresh sauce to put on any sandwich, salad, eggroll, jalapeño poppers, tacos, burritos, rice, beans, ice cream, brownies, or whatever your heart desires. (Don’t really put it on your ice cream or brownie, that’s weird. I know some of you will.)
It is super simple to make and can store in the refrigerator for several months.
This would go perfectly with the Rattlesnake Bites we made earlier.
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Lime Cilantro and Jalapeño Aioli
A spicy and tangy sauce that compliments any Tex-Mex meal.
Instructions
Combine it all in your blender and puree until it runs smooth.
Make sure to stick it in the Fridge for at least 3 hours for the ingredients to marry.
by Doug Hartill | Dec 1, 2018 | Recipes
HEY MAN, YOU KNOW I’M HALF CUBAN RIGHT?
You should see the looks I get. I am probably one of the whitest Latinos you have ever seen. I guess my 1/4 Irish and 1/4 English heritage won out on the looks department. THAT BEING SAID…Let us take a look at one of the staple appetizers in the Cuban household.
HAM CROQUETTES
They can be served with anything for any occasion. Being that they take a long time to make, it isn’t something that you can whip up in a few minutes. You need to plan to make them.
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Cuban Ham Croquettes
A classic Cuban appetizer that is a staple for any Cuban dish or party.
Instructions
Directions
Throw the ham in a blender or food processor. Keep going until you get a total of 2 cups of pureed ham.
Combine milk, flour, salt and pepper and set aside.
Melt the butter in a 2 qt. pot and saute onions over medium heat until translucent.
Add the milk mixture and stir constantly over med-hi heat until the mixture begins to thicken into a dough-like consistency.
Remove from the heat, add the minced ham to the mixture and combined until it is thoroughly mixed.
At this stage, you will want to transfer the “masa” to a bowl and put in the fridge to chill for several hours or put in the freezer until the masa is firm but not frozen.
When the masa is firm enough, take a tablespoon of meat in your hands and roll it like a small hot dog and continue until you’ve made approximately 16 croquettes. If you make them small/party size, you’ll end up with roughly 30-35 of them. Place the croquettes in a container that will fit in your freezer, using a sheet of wax paper in between the stacks.
Breading and Frying
Beat the two eggs and spread the cracker meal on a plate or shallow surface. Dip croquettes in the egg, then cracker meal, twice.
Heat the oil in a pan or deep fryer to 375 degrees. Fry croquettes until golden brown. Transfer from pan to paper towels, to soak up excess oil.
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