Sweet and sour chicken

  This is one of those dishes I love to order from Chinese food take out. It is also a winner among kids probably because it is sweet.  I was craving it one night and decided I would make it but much healthier than the traditional fried way.  I would do it just like a stir fry.  It turned out great everyone including my kids went back for seconds.
  Try out this easy healthy meal your family will love!
 

Ingredients:
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast meat - cubed
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 onion sliced
1 sliced green bell pepper
1 sliced red bell pepper
1 cup carrot strips (julienned)
1 clove garlic, minced
1tablespoon fresh ginger chopped
 1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce
1(15 ounce) can pineapple chunks
1 (15 ounce) can mandarin oranges ( I just added these because I knew my kids would like them,  not needed)
1/4 cup ketchup
2 tablespoon vinegar
2 tablespoon brown sugar

Directions:
1.     Brown chicken in oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add onion, green bell pepper, red bell pepper, carrot and garlic and stir fry for 1 to 2 minutes.
2.     In a small bowl, combine cornstarch and soy sauce and mix together; pour mixture into the skillet, along with the pineapple and liquid, ketchup, vinegar, sugar and mandarins. Stir together and bring to a full boil.

Serve over rice or noodles.
 Serves 4-6
 recipe adapted from Allrecipes.com

Japanese style curry

  I have been a baking maniac the last few days for great cookie recipes for you, but today I thought I would try something a  little different.  After Thanksgiving I love to serve lots of non traditional food to mix up the flavors.
   I am not sure if I have mentioned it before or not on this blog, but we have a Japanese exchange student with us for the year.  Her name is Rina she is 17 and we absolutely adore her.
   We mainly eat as we normally would but I can tell she really misses rice.  I tell her all the time you can make as much rice as you want whenever you want to,  but she never does.
  I try and have some dish at least once a week with rice.  She was telling me about a curry that her family eats very often.  So we gave it a try.  Japanese curry is very popular there.  It is one of their comfort foods like mac and cheese is for us.  The Japanese style is much milder and sweeter than Indian curry.  So if you are afraid to try curry, try it like this and you can ease your way into it.  The sauce is not very strong or over powering.  My kids loved it.
  Most of us do not have all the Indian spices in our cupboards,  So I opted to buy the curry roux. They sell it in my grocery store along with all the other Asian food. I believe the brand is Golden curry.  Rina says this is what they use at home too.  So you can still feel authentic.
  You cook it just like you would a stew, an easy weeknight dinner.

sorry for the non natural light.  we eat at 5:30 and it is so dark here.

Printer friendly recipe

Japanese style curry

• 2 Large chicken breasts
• 2 yellow onion sliced thin
• 3 carrots, chopped
• 2 stalks celery
• 1 bell pepper
• 2 large potatoes
• 6 cups water
• 1 tbsp.  veg oil
• 2 whole bay leaves
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/2 tsp. ginger
• 1/2 tbsp. sugar 
• golden curry mix 1 large box.  choose heat. I did medium.
• steamed rice

  Start by sauteing onions, bell pepper, carrots, celery, garlic in oil.  Cook until caramelized.   Add water seasonings, chicken and potatoes.
Bring to a simmer until chicken and potatoes are done.
Chop golden curry mix.  It comes in a brick like chocolate.  add to pot.  stir for 5 minutes until dissolved.  bring to simmer, it will thicken.  Shred the chicken, serve over rice.  I did brown rice.