Sweet and Sour Chicken with Sweet and Sour Pineapple Ginger Sauce (Soy-Free)

Coming up with different ways to make chicken and having it taste good can be challenging especially when you have a family member that is allergic to or has food sensitivities to a lot of different foods/ingredients. Simple take-out food is not so simple...or is it?

Well, I finally found a recipe from Simply Recipes: http://simplyrecipes.com for Sweet and Sour Chicken that is allergy-free and tasty. There is also a Sweet and Sour Pineapple Ginger Sauce recipe that I found from R.W. Knudsen, www.godairyfree.com. They are both easy to make and taste great. For a  fun take-out idea: pick up  "to-go" containers from the dollar store to make this a special take-out treat for the kids.

Ingredients:

1 pound of boneless and skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into 1 inch chunks
1 egg white (or egg substitute)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (1/4 teaspoon table salt)
2 teaspoons cornstarch (or flour alternative)
1 10-ounce can pineapple chunks (reserve juice)
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon cooking oil
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1 inch chunks
1 yellow pepper, cut into 1 inch chunks
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger


Sauce:

3/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup pineapple juice
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (1/4 teaspoon table salt)

Preparation:

Step 1: In a bowl, combine the chicken with the egg white (or egg substitute), salt and cornstarch. Stir to coat the chicken evenly. Let sit for 15 minutes at room temperature or up to overnight in the refrigerator.

Step 2: In the meantime, stir together the brown sugar and cornstarch in a medium saucepan. Stir in the pineapple juice, balsamic vinegar, ginger and salt. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly (makes about 1 1/2 cups).

Step 3: Heat a large frying pan or wok over high heat until a bead of water instantly sizzles and evaporates. Pour in the 1 tablespoon of cooking oil and swirl to coat. It's important that the pan is very hot. Add the chicken and spread the chicken out in one layer. Let the chicken fry, untouched for 1 minute, until the bottoms are browned. Flip and fry the other side the same for 1 minute. The chicken should be pinkish in the middle. Dish out the chicken onto a clean plate, leaving as much oil in the pan as possible.

Step 4: Turn the heat to medium and add the remaining 1 teaspoon of cooking oil. Let the oil heat up and then add the bell pepper chunks and ginger. Fry for 1 minute. Add the pineapple chunks and 1/2 of the  sweet and sour sauce (reserve the rest for dipping). Turn the heat to high and when the sauce is simmering, add the chicken pieces back in. Let simmer for 1-2 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Timing depends on how thick you've cut your chicken. The best way to tell if the chicken is done is to take a piece out and cut into it. If it's pink, add another minute to the cooking time.

Buon Appetito!