Sweet and Sour Chicken

A Chinese take-out family favorite! This recipe cuts out the sugar and fat of restaurant varieties, combining the natural sweetness of pineapples with sugar substitute for a healthier take. Plus, the variety of bell peppers creates a colorful entrée.

Ingredients

 Servings 4

• 4 bell peppers, 1 each of red, yellow, green, and orange if possible, seeded and cut into 1-inch strips (about 5 cups)
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 4 teaspoons canola oil (divided)
• 1 1/4 pounds skinless, boneless, thinly sliced chicken breast (cut into 1-inch strips)
• 1/4 cup cider vinegar
• 4 teaspoons cornstarch (divided)
• 1 large egg white
• ½ cup pineapple juice + 1 cup pineapple chunks from 1 (20-ounce) can pineapple chunks in juice, divided
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons sugar substitute (granulated)
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
• ¼ cup chopped scallions, to garnish
• 2 cups cooked brown rice (from 1/2 cup uncooked brown rice), to serve

Directions

1. Halve each bell pepper lengthwise. Remove and discard the seeds; slice each one into 1-inch strips.
2. Prepare the sweet and sour sauce: into a small bowl, add ½ cup pineapple juice, cider vinegar, tomato paste, sugar substitute, soy sauce, salt, pepper, and 2 teaspoons cornstarch. Stir together to combine.
3. Place the chicken breast pieces lengthwise onto a cutting board and cut 1-inch strips of chicken. Add to a bowl with egg whites and 2 teaspoons cornstarch. Stir together to combine.
4. Warm a large nonstick pan with 2 teaspoons oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken; stirring frequently, sauté until chicken is fully-cooked, about 5 to 7 minutes depending on thickness. Remove from heat, transfer chicken to a plate, and cover with foil to keep warm.
5. Again warm the nonstick pan with 2 teaspoons oil over medium-high heat. Add bell pepper strips and stirring constantly, cook until pepper are soft and tender, about 5 minutes. Add in the ginger, stirring and cooking for 30 seconds, before stirring in the reserved sweet and sour sauce and 1 cup pineapple chunks. Stir until sauce slightly thickens, about 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in reserved chicken and cook another minute. Remove from heat and garnish with scallions.
6. Serve sweet and sour chicken over the brown rice.

Cooking tip: Mixing raw chicken slices with cornstarch and egg whites is a Chinese cooking technique called "velveting." It prevents meat from drying out while cooking in a stir-fry and provides a soft, velvety texture.

Keep it healthy: Mixing tomato paste with a low- or no-calorie sweetener is a short-cut to replace ketchup in a recipe without the extra sodium of the condiment.

Tip: 1 teaspoon of ground ginger can be substituted for the fresh; just mix into the sweet and sour sauce in advance.

Source: America Heart Association