Sweet and Sour Chicken

I have always loved sweet and sour chicken from Chinese restaurants. It wasn't until I got older that the near radioactive color of the sauce began to bother me and I no longer ate it. When I came across this recipe to make it at home, I jumped on it! It's absolutely delicious! Unfortunately, it's very time-consuming to make (as in two and a half to three hours) so I only make it a couple times a year. Since it was my oldest daughter's birthday this week and she requested it, I made it last night.

I have tweaked the recipe, but only very slightly and it's mostly due to personal preferences. Like, I dip my chicken in egg before I coat it in cornstarch, it's less messy. And I use my deep fryer instead of frying in the skillet, it's a lot faster. Also, I highly recommend doubling or even tripling the sauce. I use more chicken than the recipe calls so I have to double it just to get every piece coated in sauce. I also like to drizzle some on my rice too, so I usually end up tripling it.

Here is the original recipe:

Sweet and Sour Chicken

For the Chicken:
3-4 boneless,skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 cup cornstarch
2 eggs, slightly beaten
¼ cup canola or vegetable oil

For the Sauce:
¾ cup sugar
4 tablespoons ketchup
½ cup vinegar (preferably rice or white)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon garlic powder

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Season chicken with salt and pepper.
3. Working in two batches, toss the chicken pieces in cornstarch and then coat with the egg. Heat the oil over medium-high heat and again in two batches, brown the chicken, turning it so that all sides are browned.
4. Place the chicken in a single layer in a 9x13 baking dish.
5. Whisk together the sauce ingredients in a small bowl and pour evenly over the chicken. Turn the chicken to ensure each piece is coated.
6. Bake for 1 hour, turning the chicken every 15 minutes.
7. Serve over hot cooked rice.

Cheesy Chicken and Rice

I came across this through one of my favorite cooking blogs, Mommy Hates Cooking. It looked like good comfort food. Something simple and a little more bland than I usually make, which after the stomach issues this past weekend would probably be a good thing. Unfortunately, this just didn't work for my family. It was ok, but my kids didn't really like it. I think it was the peas and carrots they didn't like. I probably won't make it again.

Some tips (in case I ever do make it again): season the chicken well or marinate it. I would also add less water, it was a bit wet for me. Maybe a different cream of something soup to add flavor.

Anyway. Here is the original recipe:

Cheesy Chicken and Rice

Ingredients:

4 Medium Sized Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast

2 Cups Minute Rice (White or Brown)

1 Bag Frozen Mixed Veggies

1 14.5oz Can of Chicken Broth

1 10.5oz Can of Cream of Chicken (or Gluten Free Cream of Chicken)

2 Cups of Water

1 Cup Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400*. Spray a 9x13 casserole dish with non stick spray. Place chicken on bottom of dish then cover with remaining ingredients, except the cheese, evenly over the chicken.

Bake for 45 minutes, uncovered. Remove from oven and add cheese then finish baking for 10-15 minutes. If the rice appears to be too dry, add additional water.

An easy favorite side dish

I'm not quite sure where I originally found this recipe. I have changed it a little to suit our tastes. It is a family favorite and I usually have everything on hand. I don't measure out the ingredients, so this is a guesstimate on my part, so add to your taste!

Fruity Rice Pilaf

1 box Rice Pilaf
8oz crushed pineapple, drained
1/4 to 1/2 cup dried cranberries (or raisins)
2 to 4 Tbsp Italian dressing

Prepare rice pilaf according to the box. When it's finished, add the drained pineapple, dried cranberries (or raisins), and Italian dressing. Mix well and serve!