Pineapple Sweet 'n' Sour Chicken

I am always trying to find recipes that Ron will eat, that I will also love to eat and that I will love to make.  It is a constant battle.  If it was up to Ron, the meal would be strictly meat and starch.  Perhaps he'd add a side salad of lettuce or spinach, but the greens would be drenched in ranch dressing.  If it was up to me, it would be something with a small amount of chicken, a starch and a buttload of vegetables and/or fruit.  We could not be more opposite when it comes to our food preferences.


Since I've started cooking, I have to give him credit.  He has been adjusting well.  He always tells me that he will eat whatever I make, which he does, but it is always disappointing to see a pile of leftover vegetables on his dish when he's finished.  I think that I will continue to question his "I don't like the texture of vegetables or fruit" claim for our entire lives, but whatever, I'm just going to keep making foods that I like.  After all, I am in the one running shop here.  :) 


This meal was a mixture of the best of both worlds.  It combined the tanginess of pineapples (which I love when incorporated into a meal) and the nutrients from the vegetables.  At the same time, it also added sweetness to the chicken from the sweet and sour sauce which turned it into an ethnic asian meal that Ron would find acceptable.  Of the six peppers that found their way onto his plate, he ate three!  Hell, it's an improvement and I'm not complaining.  This meal is fantastic for a quick and easy weekday dinner.  Although it adds a bit of sugar to a dinner plate, it can quickly satisfy a craving for take-out sweet 'n' sour.  I prepped everything before and it took about 20 minutes total from start to finish.  

Pineapple Sweet 'n' Sour Chicken
adapted from Dole
Yield:  4 servings @ 471 calories, 7g fat, 62g carb, 39g protein per serving
Ingredients

• 1 can (20 oz) Dole Pineapple Chunks
• 1 medium green or red bell pepper, cut into chunks (or both!!)
• 1 medium onion, cut into chunks
• 1/2 c sliced mushrooms
• 2 tbsp canola oil
• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 c prepared sweet and sour sauce
• 2 tbsp less sodium soy suace
• 4 c cooked brown (or white) rice

Instructions

1. Drain pineapple; reserve 2 tbsp juice.
2. Cook; stirring pepper, onion and mushrooms in hot oil, over medium heat, in large skillet, until tender-crisp.  Remove vegetables from skilletr; set aside.
3. Cook chicken in same skillet, until chicken is browned.  Add vegetables back to skillet with sweet and sour sauce, soy sauce, pineapple chunks and reserved juice.  Heat through.  
4. Serve over hot cooked rice.