No Fry Sweet & Sour Chicken

This is a recipe I have adapted over the years from one of my very first cook books. It is one of my favorites, although the boys don't love this one as much as I do. It has a mild sweet and sour sauce and is chock full of yummy crisp tender vegetables. Sometimes I throw some mushrooms, water chestnuts, or bamboo shoots in as well if I have them and feel like it - you can tweak the veggies to you and your families preference pretty easily. Serve this over some brown rice with an egg roll on the side and it's filling and delicious meal!

No Fry Sweet and Sour Chicken

Ingredients
1 - 1.5 lbs chicken, diced
1 20-oz can pineapple chunks
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup vinegar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tsps chicken bouillon
1-2 TBS cooking oil
3-4 medium carrots, peeled and bias sliced
2-3 large stalks celery, bias sliced
2 green peppers, diced into 1/2 inch pieces
2-3 tsp minced garlic
1 medium onion, diced
4 cups hot cooked rice

Directions

1. Pour 1 tablespoon of oil into a wok or large nonstick pan heated over medium-high heat. When oil is hot, add the carrots and the garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add the remaining vegetables and stir-fry until they are crisp tender (5 minutes or so).
2. Add in the chicken, cook and stir for about 5-10 more minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in the middle and vegetables are tender (if you prefer the vegetables to stay crunchier, cook the chicken separately and add it in with the sauce).
3. While meat and vegetables are cooking, prepare sauce by pouring all the pineapple juice from the can into a measuring cup. Add enough water to equal 3 cups. Set the pineapple aside.
4. Add the vinegar, soy sauce, sugar and chicken bouillon to the pineapple juice. Stir to combine.
5. When meat and vegetables are cooked, push them from the center of the skillet and pour in the sauce. Cook and stir until bubbly and thickened. 
6. Add in about half of the reserved pineapple chunks (more or less to taste).
7. Serve over rice.