Sweet and Sour Chicken

I have tried many a sweet and sour chicken recipe in my lifetime. This one has topped them all! I saw the original recipe on a site called "carlsbadcravings.com" and I have adapted it slightly to make it just a little more points friendly. Never-the-less, it is still fairly high in points and should be saved for a real treat.

serves 8 ( 1/2 c. cooked rice + 1/8 chicken mixture = 13 points +)

Chicken:

• 1-1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 T. water
• 1/2 c. flour
• 2/3 c. cornstarch
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 1/4 tsp. ground ginger
• 2 T. coconut oil or oil of your choosing

Sweet and Sour Sauce:

• 1/2 c. pineapple juice ( from a 20 oz. can of pineapple tidbits)
• 1 c. red wine vinegar
• 1-1/2 c. sugar
• 6 T. ketchup
• 1 small onion, diced
• 2 T. low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 T. crushed garlic
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp. crushed ginger

Vegetables/ Pineapple

• 1 ( 20 oz) can pineapple tidbits ( drain and use juice in sauce)
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 c. very thinly sliced carrots

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Add sweet and sour sauce ingredients to a medium or large pot. Stir and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, beat 1 egg and add 1 T. water. Place flour in a gallon sized ziplock bag. In another gallon sized bag, combine cornstarch, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and ground ginger.

Dip chicken pieces in egg and then place in bag with flour. Shake to coat. Remove chicken from bag and place in bag with cornstarch mixture. Shake to thoroughly coat.

Heat a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray. Add oil and swirl to coat. Add chicken and cook 2 minutes per side or until just browned, but not cooked through. Transfer chicken to a 13 x 9 inch baking dish coated with nonstick spray.

Add the vegetables and pineapple to the sweet and sour sauce. Stir. Pour over chicken and stir to combine.

Bake at 375 for 30-45 minutes or until sauce is thickened. Stir occasionally. Serve over rice.