Sweet & Sour Chicken

Bryan and I have both had a craving for some good Chinese food lately.  I’m always hesitant to try a new Chinese restaurant and I haven’t asked for any good recommendations in our area.  I decided that I could make sweet and sour chicken, because I’ve done it before. :)  The recipe is from the cookbook Dinner is Ready  by Deanna Buxton {I tried to find a link to the book I have, but I can’t. I can’t find a web page for her either}.  It is actually a book of recipes for freezer meals, and this one freezes well.  I often make a large batch and freeze whatever is left for another night.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

• 4 chicken breasts, diced (I use two.  Four seems like a lot.)
• 1 TBSP oil
• 1 carrot, sliced (I use 2-3 and just chop them)
• 1 clover garlic (Didn’t have any, so I used garlic powder.)
• 1 cup sugar
• 4 TBSP cornstarch
• 1 1/3 cups water
• 3 TBSP oil
• 2/3 cup vinegar (I used apple cider vinegar)
• 4 TBSP soy sauce
• 1 onion, chunked (I used 1/2 onion, cut really big so I could easily pick them out. :) )
• 1/2 red bell pepper, chunked
• 1/2 green bell pepper, chunked (I didn’t have red pepper so I used a whole green pepper)
• 1 small can pineapple chunks (I think Bryan would have liked more pineapple than this)

Saute chicken in oil with carrots and garlic until no longer pink.  Remove from heat and allow to cool.  Combine sugar and cornstarch in a saucepan.  Stir in water.  Add oil, vinegar and soy sauce.  Cook and stir until thick and clear (not clear that you can see through it but clear that there are no lumps).  Remove from heat.  Stir in chicken and carrots, peppers, onion, and pineapple.

At this point you can serve it over rice or let it cool and put it in the freezer.  If you put it in the freezer, when you are ready to use it, let it thaw, heat until bubbly and serve over rice. 

Easy.  And tasty. 

So, if you live by me, tell me a good place to get Chinese food.  If you don’t, what kind of Chinese food do you like?  Do you make it or buy it?