Chicken with Orange Sauce

I've always been a little weird, or as The Nudge would say "a little?!?!"
OK, more then the average person. Everyone has their quirks, mine are just stranger.

I love the thought of cleaning out my crawlspace. I love that each box is a surprise and it's like receiving many gifts all in one day.

Ah, come on. You know, I know you know what that is like.

Picture this....you're surrounded by boxes of what you have no clue, you're covered in dust and spider webs, yet you're in your element.

When you hit a certain age and you have moved many times or raised a family, you have an spot in your house, that over the years boxes accumulate.

I found things I forgot I had and it was like getting a gift many times over.
It is funny what you find in boxes that are still unopened when we moved here over 15 years ago. I still haven't found my china set. Oh, it's down there alright, just not sure where.

What I did find was an old Rubbermaid recipe file box, all 3x5 cards, most hand written and some typed (yes, there were no computers and you used a typewriter, scary huh). You woulda thunk (yes, it's a word) I opened a box of antique jewelry.

What was I so excited about? It was like going way back in the day, getting a glimpse of what we were eating and seeing what recipes caught my eye. It was interesting to see that my tastes have basically stayed the same. I was pretty adventurous back then. Really, the only thing that changed over those years is the awareness, availability and uses of spices and herbs you can cook with today, so with some updating, these can make it, finally, to our dinner table.

On the menu today is Chicken with Orange Sauce. We've all heard of lemon chicken with almonds, this time the juice is orange. Easy enough, simple marinaded chicken breasts that uses the marinade as part of the sauce. What I loved the most about this recipe is that there is no additional sweetener in the sauce. The raisins and the juice will give just enough to the party.

After marinading the chicken, I put both the marinade and the raisins into a saucepan and let it simmer on low for 20 minutes. I then pureed the whole thing, strained it back into the saucepan and simmered until it reduced to a sauce consistency. A popped in a nob of butter at the end, and served it over the chicken.

It was delicious. A very good way to use up that last cup of OJ in the container.



Chicken with Orange Sauce
makes 4 servings

* 1 chicken, cut-up
* 1 cup orange juice
* garlic clove, minced
* 3 tablespoons parsley
* 3/4 cup flour
* 2 tablespoons paprika and salt
* Olive oil for frying
* 1/2 cup raisins, soaked in sherry, drained
* 1/2 cup dry sherry
* 2 tablespoons toasted almonds, slivered or sliced

1. Combine chicken, juice, garlic and parsley in a large zip bag and place in fridge for 4 hours or overnight.
2. Mix flour with paprika and salt.
3. Remove chicken from marinade, pat dry and dredge in flour mixture.
4. Saute in olive oil until golden brown on all sides, about 4 minutes per side. Remove to plate.
5. Add raisins and sherry to marinade, pour into pan and bring to a simmer. With a hand blender puree the marinade, strain and add it back to the pan and simmer until it thickens. Add chicken back to pan, cover and simmer for 10-12 minutes till chicken is fully cooked. Remove the cover and simmer until the sauce is reduced and will coat the chicken.
6. Serve chicken on a platter, spoon sauce over and sprinkle toasted almonds on top.

Serve with brown rice, quinoa or bulgur (I had a cup of leftover mashed potatoes) and a nice roasted vegetable. I like carrots with chicken, so I roasted off a bunch of baby carrots.