CHINESE AMERICAN: Orange Chicken

I wanted to make an Applebee's version of this recipe, so I found one at Recipezaar. To save time in the future, I will probably use a frozen Asian vegetable mix and may even buy the chicken already breaded, but it is oh, so good freshly made. The orange flavor is not too sweet or overpowering as it is in some Chinese (American) restaurants.

2 lbs boneless skinless chicken
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 TBSP vegetable oil
1/2 cup plus 1 TBSP cornstarch
1/4 cup flour (we used spelt)
oil for frying
1 tsp minced garlic
1 1/2 tsp grated orange rind
1 cup orange juice
1/2 cup hoisin sauce
1/4 cup sugar (we used less and replaced it with fructose for Jeff's dietary needs)
salt and pepper
rice
slivered toasted almonds
broccoli
red bell peppers
snow peas
chow mein noodles

1. Cut chicken into 2-inch pieces and place in a large bowl. Stir in egg, salt, pepper and oil. Mix well and set aside.
2. Stir cornstarch and flour together in another large bowl and mix well. Add chicken mixture to the flour mixture, stirring to coat each piece well.
3. Fry the chicken in oil until golden and crisp. Do not overcook or chicken will be tough. Remove chicken from oil with slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Continue frying chicken in small batches until all are nicely browned and crisp.
4. Cool the oil in the skillet slightly, then remove all but 2 tablespoons of oil and set over medium heat. Sauté garlic in oil for 1 minute. Add remaining ingredients and bring to boil. Allow to boil for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Reduce heat and simmer until sauce thickens to your liking, stirring frequently.
5. Pour glaze over chicken. Serve chicken over a bed of cooked rice. Garnish with slivered almonds and crispy noodles. Applebee's tosses the chicken and orange glaze with an array of stir-fry vegetables like broccoli, snow peas and red peppers.