First of all there are no dumb questions. If you found the recipes online, please post the links so I or anyone else can help you with questions you have about it. Recipes can look complicated, but most of them are easier then they look. I have a bunch of cook books here and will try and find a good orange chicken recipe for you.
Zesting citrus is something I do all the time and is really simple, it just sounds fancy. There are a couple of tools that can be used for zesting, but my favorite is a microplane grater. Not only is it easiest to zest with, in my opinon, it is also good for other things. Always remember to wash the citrus fruit under water before zesting. When zesting only zest off the outside color, not the white part you reveal. If that makes sense. Once the citrus fruit is zested, it is still perfectly fine to keep for juicing at a later time. A great way to use zest is in salads. Some lemon zest as a finishing touch to a simple salad makes the salad look and taste better.
As for what would go well with orange chicken. You are right with rice. I mean rice and chinese food is like peanut butter and jelly. I have not used minute rice, but I am assuming it just cooks faster, like instant polenta and instant grits. There are lots of different kinds of rice, but for you I would just buy simple long grain white rice. As for cooking the rice, it is easy once you know the ratio and cooking time. When cooking rice the pilaf method (basic way of cooking it), use a two to one ratio. Two parts water to one part rice. Get a sauce pan with a lid, if you have a a clear lid that you can see through that would be great. Put a little bit of oil or butter in the sauce pan over medium heat. If using oil, use a neutral oil, meaning oil that does not have strong flavor like extra virgin olive oil. Put the rice in and stir to coat the rice with the butter or oil, whichever you decided to use. Let the rice cook for about a minute. Pour in the water and stir, then bring to a boil. Drop it back down to a simmer. A simmer is just below a boil. Stir and put the lid on. Leave the lid on and cook for 18 minutes. If the temperature is too high and the water is evaporating too fast, just turn it down a little and maybe add a tiny bit more water. This is not ideal, as the rice might absorb too much water, but it is better than having the water evaporate too quickly and ending up with crunchy burnt rice. Once it has been 18 minutes season the rice with salt and pepper to taste and serve. Practice making rice before your party, so that you will be great the day of the party.
Another great side for chinese food is stir fry vegetables. There are lots of great vegetables for stir frys. I like to go simple with yellow onion, bell peppers (a mixture of colors looks great), bok choy (chinese cabbage), and garlic.
Crab wontons are a tasty appetizer. They are not hard to make. It is just wonton wrappers filled with a cream cheese crab mixture and then fried. Wonton wrappers may look complicated, but they are really easy to use and can be bought almost anywhere. I found them at target. Just rember when using wonton wrappers keep a damp cloth or paper towel over the ones that are not filled, so that they do not dry out on you and crack.
I hope this was helpful and not too much for you to take in. Invite some friends over and practice making the dishes and see what they think. That way when the special occastion arrives it will turn out great.