Sweet & Sour Chicken

By ldelmas

Preparation

Step 1

Cook the chicken according to package directions. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ginger and sauté for 30 seconds. Add the onion, celery, and pepper and sauté until the vegetables are cooked through but not soft, about 5–8 minutes. While the vegetables are sautéing, whisk together the pineapple juice, rice wine vinegar, ketchup, and sherry and a small bowl. Set aside. Add the pineapple chunks, cooked chicken, and sauce to the skillet. Bring the mixture to a simmer and stir for 2 minutes. Serve over the rice. Top with cashews. I suspect you have almost all the ingredients to make this dish in your pantry. What you may not have is the rice wine vinegar (if you don't do much Asian cooking). Most of the vinegars Americans are familiar with (i.e. white and balsamic) are made from fermented grapes. Rice wine vinegar, or rice vinegar, is made from fermented rice and is not the same as rice wine or wine vinegar. So, check the label twice before buying this ingredient! Rice wine vinegar can be black, red, or white and all impart a distinct Asian taste. For this recipe, I suggest red, as it has the most pronounced sweet and tangy flavor of all the colors. If you can't find it, however, and black and white rice wine vinegar aren't available, you