The Accidental Pastor's Wife

I love homemade Chinese food. I think it's ten times better than a restaurant, even if it can be a bit of prep work ahead of time. Tonight we're old fogeys hosting some young pups for dinner so I thought I'd make something most hip, young folks like so I've started Sweet and Sour Chicken. I'm also making Egg Fried Rice, a super easy side dish. Here's my recipe. I've been making this for years.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
1/3 c. cornstarch
2 eggs, beaten
2 tsp. salt
1 c. or so canola oil
2 tsp. onion powder
2/3 c. packed brown sugar
1/3 c. white sugar
1/4 c. ketchup
2 T. soy sauce
20 oz. canned pineapple chunks, juice reserved
2 T. cornstarch
2 T. water

Combine cubed chicken with the egg, salt, and cornstarch. Stir to combine and chill for at least 30 minutes. Heat the oil in a large, deep skillet. Fry chicken pieces until golden brown and not pink inside (test the biggest piece to see if it's done). Drain on paper towels. Set aside. This usually takes a few batches and I do this ahead of time because frying is so messy! Discard oil in skillet and wipe out any crusty stuff on the bottom with a paper towel. Combine onion powder, sugars, ketchup, soy sauce, and pineapple JUICE. Whisk and heat until blended over medium heat. In a small bowl, stir together the cornstarch and water until smooth (sometimes I need a little bit more water, just depends). Add to sauce and stir until thickened. Add chicken and pineapple chunks. Serve with my easy crab rangoons and egg fried rice (remember I posted those crab rangoons a while back?).