Pineapple Ginger Chicken

I'm about as white as they come, but boy, do I love making homemade Chinese food.  It pretty easy, and it's always delicious.  This recipe blew me away.  This chicken was baked but still crispy enough, and the sauce was amazing.  

Being that I make Chinese food at home a lot, I've been trying to teach my kids to use chopsticks.  That goes over as well as prissy cheerleader trying to survive in the zombie apocalypse.  They usually just end up stabbing the poor chicken with the end of their chopsticks.  Can't say I blame 'em!  

Next time you're craving Chinese food, give this a shot.  It only takes about 30 minutes, and it's just as good or better than takeout.  

The new Walking Dead episode is on in five minutes, so I'm outta here!  I can't wait!

Pineapple Ginger Chicken

Source: carlsbadcraving.com

• 1 1/2 pounds chicken breasts, pounded thin, cut into bite size pieces
• 2 eggs 
• 2 tablespoons water 
• nonstick cooking spray
• 1/2 teaspoon coconut oil (may sub. olive oil)
• 
  Chicken Breading
• 1 cup flour 
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 
  Pineapple Ginger Sauce
• 1/2 t Coconut or olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• !-2 t freshly grated ginger (or 1/4-1/2 t dried)
• 1/4 cup pineapple juice
• 1/3 cup + 1 1/2 tablespoons pineapple preserves
• 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1-2 teaspoons sriracha (I used sweet chili sauce)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• Pineapple chunks (Optional)

Line a baking sheet with foil (Save yourself on cleanup time, my friends!)  Spray that with cooking spray.  

In a large bowl, combine the egg and water.  In a Ziplock bag, combine the chicken breading ingredients.  Shake to combine. 

Dip the bite size pieces of chicken in the egg wash.  Shake off any excess egg.  Place the egg-coated chicken pieces in the Ziplock bag with the breading mixture.  Add about five pieces of chicken at a time.  Seal the Ziplock bag and shake to coat.  Shake off the excess flour as you remove the chicken pieces.  Place the chicken on the prepared cookie sheet.  Space the chicken out on the cookie sheet.  Spray the tops of the chicken with cooking spray.  This will help it crisp up a bit.  

Bake at a 375 degree oven for ten minutes.

While that is baking, prepare the sauce.  Heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium heat.  Once the oil is hot, add the garlic and ginger.  Saute for about 30 seconds.  Add the remaining ingredients for the sauce, except the cornstarch.  Stir them all together.  Scoop out a little bit of the sauce and add the cornstarch to that.  Stir it around to form a paste.  Add the paste back into the sauce and stir.  Bring to a boil.  Stir.  Reduce heat and simmer until sauce has thickened.  Add in the pineapple chunks, if desired.

After the chicken has cooked for ten minutes, remove it.  Place a rack about 8-10 inches away from the broiler.  Broil it for 5-10 minutes or until desired crispiness.  

Place the chicken in a serving bowl.  Pour the sauce on top and toss to combine.  Top with chopped green onions and sesame seeds.  

Serve with fried rice and steamed vegetables.

Coconut Chicken

When I made this for dinner, I had the coconut chicken, fried rice, and cream cheese rangoons.  That's a pretty good-sized meal, and my husband ate every last drop of it.  Well, despite the fact that it was a big dinner, he still ventured into the kitchen to get a snack around 9:00.  This is a routine thing.  We could eat at a buffet for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and he'd still have to snack around 9:00.  Popcorn, chips and nacho cheese, crackers and summer sausage, popcorn and m&ms, a slice of cheese, cereal, or whatever else he can get his hands on.  Is my husband the only one that scavenges through the kitchen like this on a nightly basis?  Yes? Well, I suppose it's a good thing I keep snacky snacks on hand at all times.

Now to the chicken.  I am not a huge coconut fan, but this chicken sparked my curiosity.  I love to cook Chinese food, so I gave it a whirl.  Sweet mercy!  This stuff was delicious!  I had some Thai sweet chili sauce on the side for the rangoons, but I dipped the chicken in there.  Oh, man.  The sweet/spicy combo was amazing.  It was delicious on its own, too.  I'm already looking forward to making this again.

Coconut Chicken
source: http://kidsinthesink.wordpress.com/2012/04/23/coconut-chicken/

For the chicken:
2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-2 inch cubes
salt and pepper, to taste
1 c cornstarch
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 c canola oil

For the sauce:
1 can (14 oz) coconut milk
3/4 c sugar
1 t cider vinegar

Preheat the canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

Preheat the oven to 350.

Sprinkle some salt and pepper on the chicken cubes.  Place the beaten eggs in one bowl and the cornstarch in a quart-sized Ziplock bag.

Put the chicken cubes in the eggs and toss to coat.  Pull each piece out one at a time and shake off the excess egg.  Place in the Ziplock bag.  Once all the chicken pieces are in the bag, seal it, and shake to coat them.

Take them out one a time and place in the pre-heated skillet.  Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side just until golden brown.  It doesn't need to be cooked all the way through since it will finish cooking in the oven.

Remove the pieces from the skillet onto a paper towel-lined cookie sheet.  Let it drain for a couple minutes.  Remove the paper towel and discard.

In another bowl, combine the sauce ingredients: the coconut milk, the sugar, and the vinegar.  Stir well and pour over the chicken.  Toss gently.

Bake in the oven for an hour, stirring every 15 minutes.

After the hour, serve it alongside fried rice or white rice.

This stuff is tasty.

Mongolian Beef (P.F. Chang's copycat) and Sweet and Sour Chicken

I went to a small junior college in central Utah for my Associate's degree.  There sure wasn't a lot to do in that little town during my first year.  Luckily, I had some friends that were as crazy and immature as myself.  One night, we took my camcorder and went "Jaywalking" like Jay Leno through some apartments and asked students questions that they should know but didn't.  Another night, a friend and I wrapped ourselves in aluminum foil and ran across campus at midnight.   Another night, a bunch of us dressed up like Captain Underpants mixed with the style of Spongebob and had a wrestling match on an old mattress in the living room.  Oh, the good times of college. 

I think if there was a Chinese restaurant in that tiny little town with food like this, I would have had an I'm-going-to-nothing-but-shove-my-face-with-this-food for two years.  These two recipes blew the socks off my husband, which is saying something since he wears wool socks that go up to his knees.  

 These recipes are keepers!  There is no reason to go out an pay an arm and a leg for Chinese food with these recipes around.  They are just as good as any restaurant.

 Mongolian Beef
source: http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2012/03/pf-changs-mongolian-beef-copycat-recipe.html

2 t vegetable oil
1/2 t minced ginger or 1/2 t dried ginger
1 T minced garlic
1/2 c soy sauce
1/2 c water
3/4 c dark brown sugar
vegetable oil, for frying (about 1 cup)
1 lb flank steak
1/4 c corn starch
2 green onions, chopped

Sauce:
Heat 2 t of oil in a saucepan over medium-low heat.  Add the minced garlic and ginger.  Heat and stir until fragrant.  Don't let it burn!  Add the soy sauce and water.  Stir.  Add the brown sugar and stir to dissolve. Increase the heat to medium and bring to a boil.  Boil it for a couple minutes or until thickened.  Remove from the heat.

Beef:
Slice the flank steak into 1/4 inch slices across the grain.  While you are slicing it, tilt the blade to a 45 degree angle to get wider cuts of meat.  Dip the slices of meat into the corn starch to lightly coat them.  Let the meat stick for 10 minutes.  This will help the cornstarch stick to the meat better.

While it is sitting, heat 1 c of oil in a large skillet. Heat the oil over medium heat until it is hot but not smoking.

Add the beef and saute until it is nice and brown.  Stir it a bit as you go to ensure even cooking.  After it is browned, 2-3 minutes, take it out to drain on a paper towel.  Dab it with the paper towel to remove excess oil.

Add the meat to the saucepan with the sauce in it.  Heat it over medium-low heat to heat through.  Add the chopped green onions, saving a few for garnish.

Serve with fried rice or cream cheese rangoons.

Sweet and Sour Chicken
source: http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2008/07/sweet-and-sour-chicken-updated.html

Chicken:
3-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
salt and pepper
1 c cornstarch
2 lg eggs, beaten
1/4 c canola oil

Sauce:
3/4 c sugar
4 T ketchup
1/2 c apple cider vinegar
1 T soy sauce
1 t garlic powder

Preheat oven to 325.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  While it is heating, cut the chicken breasts into 1-inch cubes and season with salt and pepper.  Place the cornstarch in a Ziplock bag.  Add the chicken pieces.  Seal and shake the bag  to thoroughly coat the chicken pieces.

Whisk the beaten eggs in a shallow plate or pie plate.  Dip the cornstarch-covered chicken into the egg mixture and carefully place in a single layer into the hot oil. Cook for 1-2 minutes.  Flip to cook the other side just until golden brown.  It's okay if it isn't cooked all the way through since it's going into the oven for awhile.

Remove the chicken and put it in a baking dish, in a single layer.

Combine the sauce ingredients and pour over the chicken.

Bake for one hour, turning the pieces a couple times during the baking.

After an hour, the sauce will be all sticky and perfectly coated on the chicken.

Honey Sesame Chicken

This week I was attending a graduation for a school which shall be unnamed.  It was more a promotion ceremony for 8th graders.  Anywho:  Here is a list of some of the things I saw (all 8th graders)

• A skin tight little black dress that went about an inch below the booty cheeks.
• An open-back dress showing a back full of tattoos
• A girl dressed in Hogwarts garb wearing a toy light saber on her belt (I kid you not!)
• A nose and lip ring on the same girl
• Four different colored hair (think cotton candy colors- bright pink, purple, blue)
• Enough cleavage to make even Dolly Parton jealous

I couldn't believe my eyes!  I was a pretty unique kid in high school, but even this is way beyond what I would dream of doing.  

I will, however, dream about making this chicken time and time again.  Loved it!  I found the recipe on pinterest, although I don't have my own account.  I'm afraid I would neglect my children to make sure I met the pinning quota to keep up with my friends that have it down to a science.  I do think that it's an awesome place to find delicious recipes like this one.  I loved the sauce on the chicken.  I wish I had some green onions to sprinkle atop.  Next time!

PS- Due to the fact that I have a new baby, I only have a picture of the finished product.  It's pretty simple though.  Let me know if you have questions!

Honey Sesame Chicken
source: http://www.grumpyshoneybunch.com/2010/04/are-you-seeing-pattern-here-lately.html

12 oz chicken breast, cut into bite sized pieces
1 T soy sauce
1 T cooking wine (I used dry white wine)
1/2 T sesame oil
1 t sugar
2 T flour
1 T cornstarch
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper

sauce:
1 T sweet chili sauce (found in the Asian section in the grocery store)
2 T ketchup
1 T honey
1 T oyster sauce
2 T soy sauce
1/4 c water

1 T sesame seeds
1 green onion, chopped

Combine the soy sauce, cooking wine, sesame oil, and sugar in a Ziplock bag or other container.  Add the cut-up chicken and marinate for an hour.

Mix flour and cornstarch in another bag.  Once the chicken is done marinating, drain it.  Add the drained chicken into the bag with the flour and cornstarch.  Shake to coat evenly.

Fry in hot oil.  I preheated my oil over medium-high heat for about 10 minutes.  Fry the chicken pieces until they are golden brown.  Drain on a paper towel.

For the sauce, add the chili sauce, ketchup, honey, oyster sauce, soy sauce, and water in a medium saucepan.  Bring it to a boil over medium-high heat.  Then, lower it to a simmer and cook until it thickens.  Add the chicken pieces into the pan and toss to evenly coat.

Sprinkle with sesame seeds and chopped green onions.

I served with fried rice and sweet and sour grilled shrimp (recipe coming soon!)

Orange Chicken #2

Awhile back, my husband was watching the first primary election, and he said, "Oh- wait until Super Tuesday."  As a non-political wife and mother, I think Super Tuesday is one of the following:

1. A Tuesday when all children decide to nap for a full 24 hours.

2. A Tuesday when professional maids make surprise visits and clean your entire house without being paid.

3. A Tuesday when Neilsen's Frozen custard gives away free sundaes.

Boy, was I shocked when I found out the it was a day when several states hold their primary election or caucus for presidential candidates.  There is nothing super about that!  They need some other adjective to precede "Tuesday."  Tortorous Tuesday.  Turn-off-the-TV-so-you-don't-have-to-listen-to-political-analysists-talk-about-every-county-in-Ohio Tuesday.  Tedious Tuesday.  More appropriate?  I think so.  I might need to send my suggestions to Fox News.

Now, this chicken... This chicken is super!  I love to make Chinese food, and one of the hardest things is to figure out how to fit all the skillets on your stovetop since nearly every Chinese food dish is done in a skillet.  This chicken is actually done in the oven.  I was skeptical at first because I'm used to frying the battered chicken and tossing it in sauce. This was a totally new way to do it, and I loved it.  The flavor was wonderful and the chicken was slightly sticky like the orange chicken from Panda Express.  And better yet- It's a bit healithier since it's not fried at all.  I loved this chicken and shall make it again and again.

Orange Chicken
source: melskitchencafe.com (bless that woman's soul!  Her website has some amazing recipes!)

2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size chunks
1/2 c flour
1 t garlic powder
1/2 t pepper
2 T oil or butter
1 1/2 c water
1/4 c plus 2 T fresh orange juice (I just used Tropicana orange juice)
1/3 c rice vinegar
2 1/2 T soy sauce
1 T orange zest
1 c brown sugar
1/2 t finely minced ginger (I used 1/2 t dried ginger)
1 t minced garlic
2 T green onion
3 T corn starch
1/4 c water

Heat oven to 350.  Pour the 2 T oil or melted butter into a cookie sheet.

Put the flour, garlic powder, and pepper in a Ziplock bag.  Put  couple handfuls of chicken at a time in the flour and seal the bag.  Shake to coat all the pieces.  Place the coated pieces onto the cookie sheet in a single layer.  Repeat with the remaining chicken. 

Bake for 30 minutes, uncovered.

While that is baking, get out a saucepan.  Combine the water, fresh orange juice, rice vinegar, soy sauce, and orange in the saucepan over medium heat.  Whisk until well combined.  Add the brown sugar, ginger, garlic, and green onion.  Bring it to a boil.  Combine the 1/4 c water and corn starch in a small bowl and whisk until it is dissolved.  Add it to the sauce and stir until it is thickened.  It should only take about a minute.

After the 30 minutes is up for the chicken, take it out, turn each piece over, and pour 1/2 the sauce over the chicken.  Bake it another 30 minutes.  Baste it frequently, adding some of the extra sauce, if necessary.

Put the chicken on a serving plate.  Sprinkle with sesame seeds and green onions (that's my own special touch!).  Serve it with rice. 

Cashew Sweet and Sour Chicken

Honestly, I don't where they time has gone for the past two weeks.  I have meant to blog some recipes, but then I get wrapped into some silly TV show or just go to sleep.  I work from home on a computer, and some days, I was working straight from 7:30-4:00 with few breaks in between.  I think the last thing I want to do at the end of the day is stare at a computer screen for another second.  Nonetheless, here I am with another tasty recipe. 

I'm not going to lie.  I was skeptical when I saw thi recipe because the sauce had a little ketchup in it.  I love ketchup on hamburgers and hot dogs, but usually, when ketchup ends up in a sauce, something goes terribly wrong.  This recipe, however, is an exception!  I thought it was fantastic.  It would have been even better with the cashews, but me, being the genius I am, forgot to add them at the last minute.  Either way, I was impressed!  I served it with fried rice and cream cheese rangoons (see the chinese label), and it was just as good as a chinese restaurant without the sick stomach afterward.

Cashew Sweet and Sour Chicken

source: Our Best Bites website

2 T corn starch

1 T apple juice

1 lb. chicken, thinly sliced (Slice it thinly while it is partially frozen to get nice, thin slices)

1/3 c water

1/4 c sugar

1/4 c cider vinegar

3 T soy sauce

3 T ketchup

1 T oil

1/3 c chopped cashews

1/4 c green onions

1 t dry ginger

2 t garlic, minced

6-8 oz snow peas, edges trimmed off

1 8 oz can pineapple chunks

Combine 1 T cornstarch, apple juice, and chicken.  Toss well.  Set aside.



 Combine 1 T cornstarch, water, sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, and ketchup.  Set aside.

 Keep all the other ingredients on hand and ready to go for when the chicken is done cooking.

Heat 1-2 T oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add chicken and cook for 3 minutes.

Add the green onions, garlic, and ginger.  Stir-fry for one minute. 

 Add the snow peas and pineapple.  Stir-fry for another 3 minutes. 

 Whisk the sauce to blend it and pour it into the pan.  Bring it to a boil.   Cook for one minute, stirring frequently.  Stir in the cashews and serve over hot rice. 

 Garnish with more green onions and cashews, if you'd like. 

This is a really fast and delicious meal!  I'll be adding it to my small reportoire of Chinese food to make again and again. 

Skewered Ginger Beef

The other night when I made Chinese food, this tasty beef graced our plates with its presence.  The marinade makes it sweet, garlicky, and gingery.  Me gusta!  Too bad I don't speak Chinese. 

Skewered Ginger Beef:

1 c sugar

1 c soy sauce

1/2 c vegetable oil

1 bunch green onions, sliced

6 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 c sesame seeds

3/4 t ground ginger

2 t pepper

2 pounds sirloin steak, cut into 1/4 inch strips

Slice the steak into 1/4 inch slices.

 Combine all the remaining ingredients in a Ziplock bag and add the steak.  Let it marinate for 8 hours or overnight.  Flipping the bag occasionally.

Sorry for the lack of pictures... I was cooking all kinds of stuff this night.

Look at the top picture to see how to put the beef on the skewer.  Grill over medium heat for 8-10 minutes, turning a couple times. 

Kung Pao Shrimp

Ah, so!  Here goes the white girl trying to make Chinese food again!  I had my brother, his girlfriend, and my mom over for dinner, and this Kung Pao Shrimp lasted about two minutes!  There were a few left on my plate to get a small picture.  omm nom nom.  See now... If I didn't try shrimp shish-kabobs a couple weeks ago, I would have missed out on this tasty dish.  However, if you're not a shrimp fan, you can use chicken.  It would still be amazing.  Next time you're craving Chinese food, make it yourself!  It's not hard, but if you're not a multi-tasker, you're out of luck.  

Kung Pao Shrimp:

source: Here in America's Test Kitchen: 2002

1 pound shrimp (I used medium)

1 T dry sherry or rice wine

2 t soy sauce

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 t ginger

3 T vegetable oil

1/2 c peanuts

1 t red pepper flakes (more or less depending on how much hot, hot heat you like)

3/4 c chicken broth

2 t rice vinegar

2 t Asian sesame oil

1 T oyster-flavored sauce

1 T hoisin sauce

1 1/2 t corn starch

1 medium red bell pepper, diced

3 medium scallions, diced thin

Here is a picture of all of the not-so-common ingredients.  They can all be found in the Oriental section in the grocery store.  Unless you live in an itty-bitty town.  Then, you might have to take a road trip, order some, or just chicken out and buy the pre-made Chinese food.  

In a small bowl, mix the garlic, ginger, and 1 T vegetable oil.  Set aside.

In another small bowl, mix the peanuts and red pepper flakes.  Set aside.

In another somewhat larger bowl, mix the chicken stock, rice vinegar, sesame oil, oyster-flavored sauce, hoisin sauce, and corn starch.  Here a tip for you- Put the corn starch in a small bowl or measuring cup.  Scoop a couple tablespoonfuls of the chicken stock mixture in with the cornstarch to make a paste.  Add the paste back in with the chicken stock stuff.  If you just dump the corn starch in, you will have lumps all over the place.  Mixing it with liquid first prevents any lumps from showing up in your sauce. Set this bowl aside as well.

In a 12 inch skillet, heat 1 T oil over medium-high heat.  Add shrimp to cook, stirring frequently for about 40 seconds.

 Add the peanuts and red pepper flakes.  Cook for another 40 seconds or so, stirring often. Remove this to a bowl and set aside.

 In the same pan, add 1 T of oil.  Swirl it around to cover the bottom.  Add the diced red pepper and cook until the peppers are softened, about 20 seconds.

 Add the garlic-ginger mixture.  The garlic will scorch fast, so you only need to cook this for about ten seconds.

 Add the chicken broth stuff.

 Add the shrimp and peanuts back into the pan.

Cook it for about one minute.  The mixture will thicken to a nice saucy consistency.  Put it in a serving bowl and top with the chopped green onions.

I served this with fried rice, cream cheese rangoons, stir-fry vegetables, and skewered gingered beef (coming soon).  This would go awesome with the sweet and sour chicken as well.  One of these days, I'll make my dad's egg rolls and post them on here.  They are my favorite, and no one makes them quite like him.  Yes, we are very caucasian, but we love Chinese food!  fa-ra-ra!

Cream Cheese Rangoons

One of my favorite things to get at a Chinese restaurant is rangoons. Oh, they are crispy. They are creamy. Mmmm.... I could eat a whole plate of these by myself. They really are easy to make, so get some wonton wrappers and get on it!
Cream Cheese Rangoons:
Wonton wrappers (these can be found by the sprouts, mushrooms, and bagged salad in the grocery store)
Cream cheese
green onions

Let the adventure begin! Place a wonton wrapper on a flat surface and brush it with whatever paintbrush you have laying around the house. ;) Use a pastry brush. Brush around the edges.

Use a knife to get a heaping teaspoon-sized hunk of cream cheese. Plop it in the middle and sprinkle a couple green onions on top. Oh- If you're feeling fishy, you can add some imitation crab with the cream cheese. If you have money to spend on real crab, heck, go all out and throw some of that in.


Squeeze the corners together as shown. It's kinda hard to explain. See below.


Press all the edges together to seal it. The water will help with that. Be gentle with these little guys though. They can tear easily.


Once they are all pressed together, they will look like the picture above. Fry those bad boys in some oil. If you are making the sweet and sour chicken that I posted, you can use the same oil for these. When you drop them in, the oil should bubble all around them. Once they are golden brown and delicious looking as in the first picture, take them out and drain them on a paper towel lined plate. Serve them with sweet chili sauce (in the Asian section of the grocery store) or the homemade sweet and sour sauce I posted.

For those that don't like the idea of deep frying your whole meal- these can be baked, although the are much better all crispy and fried. If you want to bake them, place wonton wrappers in muffin cups. Stir the cream cheese and green onions together and put little dollops (I've always wanted to use that word) into the wonton wrappers. Bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes. Keep on eye on them. Once their edges are lightly browned, they're done! there. See? A kinda healthy version. :D

Sweet and Sour Sauce

One of my roommates in college made this and shared the recipe, so unfortunately, I am unable to cite the source other than "a roommate." It's been a few years. After making this sauce, I haven't bought bottled sweet and sour sauce. I still get that sweet chili sauce though. I have no clue how to duplicate that glorious condiment. As for this sauce, it doesn't look like your traditional sweet and sour sauce because it's made with all ingredients we can pronounce. It doesn't have any red food coloring or glucsoliodium binitrodinrosphorus. Yes, I made that up. Back to the point. When my brother first saw it, he was hesitant because it was watery and bright red; However, his attitude quickly changed when he tasted it. "Dang! This is good!" Yeah, that's right. Back off my not-so-red sweet and sour sauce. Another difference is the presence of chunks. Personally, I love the added pineapple, carrots, and red pepper. If you're not a fan of chunky sauces, leave them out. Bam! You still have a delicious, homemade sauce.Sweet and Sour Chicken

Batter:
1/2 c flour
1/4 c cornstarch
1/2 c cold water
1/2 t salt
1 egg

Sauce:
20 oz pineapple chunks in syrup
1/2 c brown sugar
1/2 c white vinegar
1/2 t salt
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 medium carrot, thinly sliced or grated
1 clove garlic, minced
2 T corn starch
2 T cold water
1 medium red pepper, cut into 3/4 inch pieces

Chicken in 1 inch cubes
Oil for frying

I had company come for dinner tonight, so I only have the one picture. Sorry! This is such an easy recipe, that you can probably do it without the tutorial pictures.

Pour oil in a saucepan to a depth of about 3 inches. Heat it over medium-high heat.

Prepare the sauce. Drain the pineapple syrup into a cup measuring cup. Add enough water to make one cup. Put it in a saucepan. Heat the syrup mixture, brown sugar, white vinegar, salt, soy sauce, and carrots over medium-high heat until it comes to a boil. Reduce the hear to medium-low. Cover and simmer for 6 minutes. Mix the corn starch and water. Stir it into the sauce. Add the pineapple (I like to cut it into smaller chunks) and red bell pepper. Heat to boiling; stirring constantly. Bowl and stir one minute more. Reduce the heat to low and let simmer until the meal is ready.

Combine all the batter ingredients in a bowl. Dip the cut chicken into the batter and drop it into the heated oil. Sometimes I will take a little bit of the batter on my fingers and let it drop into the oil to make sure it is hot enough. If it is hot enough, the oil will rock and roll around the drop. Let the chicken cook in the oil for about 10 minutes or until golden brown. I do about 12 pieces at a time in my pan. When it is done, drain it on a paper-towel lined plate. Transfer the chicken pieces to a cookie sheet and keep in a 200 degree oven until ready to serve.

Put the sweet and sour sauce over the chicken.

I serve this with the fried rice, cream cheese rangoons, and steamed vegetables. The rangoons and rice are posted on here, too.

Fried Rice

I will apologize in advance for not taking any more pictures that this. Usually, I do. However, we had company over tonight, and I had about 80 things going on at once. You're lucky to get any pictures. :) This fried rice is really good, and I thought you might enjoy the recipe. Here she blows...

Fried Rice:
2 T vegetable oil
1/4 c chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 t ground ginger
3 c cooked rice
1 T soy sauce
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/3 c frozen peas
1/4 c shredded carrot or little carrot cubes
1/2 c diced ham

Heat the oil in a wok or large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, and ginger. Saute for 2-3 minutes. Add the cooked rice and soy sauce. Stir around and cook for another couple minutes. Make a well in the middle of the rice and add the beaten eggs. Lightly scramble them until the are completed cooked. Mix the cooked eggs in with the rest of the rice. Add the peas, carrot, and ham. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the peas, carrots, and ham are heated through- about ten minutes.

You can also use chopped pork, mini shrimp, or any other kind of meat that goes well with fried rice. It's a simple recipe, but it's a good'n.

I'm anything but Asian, so I don't have all the skills they have, but hey! You can eat this and unlike a post-Panda Express dinner, you won't be sick to your stomach for four hours. :)