Sweet and Sour Chicken

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My friend Lori asked me to come up with a recipe for sweet and sour chicken but it couldn’t be just any recipe – it had to taste EXACTLY like the kind you get from your local chinese take out joint.  After several attempts I’m happy to say I NAILED IT!  In fact, for my last attempt I made the whole meal while my husband was upstairs working (he works for home).  I called him down to come eat dinner and after a bite he asked if I finally gave up and just ordered take out!  HA! I never give up on a challenge and this is now one of our favorite meals!

~Sarah

Ingredients:

• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1″ chunks
• 1 egg white
• 2 tsp cornstarch
• 1 can (10 ounces) organic pineapple chunks (reserve the juice)
• 1/4 cup juice from the canned pineapple
• 1/4 cup white vinegar
• 1/4 cup Homemade Ketchup
• 2-3 tbsp raw coconut crystals or date sugar
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into 1 inch chunks
• 1 orange or yellow bell pepper, cut into 1 inch chunks
• 1 green bell pepper, cut into 1 inch chunks
• 1/2 onion, cut into 1 inch chunks
• 1 tsp freshly grated ginger
• 1 tsp sea salt, divided
• 1-2 tbsp olive oil

Preparation:

1. In a medium bowl combine the chicken, egg white, salt and cornstarch. Stir to coat the chicken evenly. Let sit for 15 minutes at room temperature.
   

   Whisk together the pineapple juice, vinegar, ketchup, salt, and coconut crystals in a small bowl

2. In the meantime, whisk together the pineapple juice, vinegar, ketchup, salt, and coconut crystals in a small bowl.  Set aside.
3. Heat a large frying pan or wok over high heat (test that it’s ready to go by dropping a bead of water in the pan – it should instantly sizzle and evaporate).
4. Add 1 tbsp of oil to the pan and swirl to coat – make sure your pan is very hot!
   

   Add the chicken and spread the chicken out in one layer

5. Add the chicken and spread it out in one layer. Let the chicken cook, untouched for 1 minute, until the bottoms are browned.
   

   Flip the chicken over and cook the other side for another minute

6. Flip the chicken over and cook the other side for another minute.  Once both sides of the chicken are nicely browned reduce the heat and cook the chicken another 5-10 minutes or until the middles are no longer pink.  Transfer the chicken to clean plate and set aside.
   

   Add the bell pepper and onion chunks and ginger to the pan

7. Reheat the pan to medium and add a small amount of oil if needed.  Add the bell pepper, onion chunks and ginger to the pan. Stir fry for 1 minute.  Add the pineapple chunks and stir fry for an additional minute.
8. Turn the heat to high and add the chicken pieces back in. Pour the sauce over the chicken and peppers and let cook for 1-2 minutes then remove from heat.
9. Serve immediately and ENJOY!

Nutritional Info:

Makes 4 servings.

Nutrients per serving:  Calories: 207.5, Cal. from Fat: 48.5, Total Fat: 5g, Sat. Fat: .5g, Carbs: 20g, Fiber: 2g, Sugars: 17g, Protein: 19g, Sodium: 231mg, Chol: 48.5mg

Notes:

Any leftover sweet and sour chicken can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.  If you plan on having leftovers make sure to reserve some of the sauce.  The chicken will be drier once it’s reheated and you’ll want to add some more sauce to it once you reheat.