Pineapple Chicken Stir Fry

                          

Pineapple Chicken Stir Fry is a quick and low calorie dish.  It will take about 30 minutes from start to finish.  But even though it is quick on time, it does not sacrifice on flavor.  The chicken comes out so tender and the bright vegetables and pineapple make for a delicious dinner.  The great aspect about a stir fry is that it can lend itself to variations.  If you are looking for a dish with more vegetables, feel free to add other vegetables to the dish.  We use red peppers but you can add yellow or orange peppers as well.  Green beans, sugar snap peas, broccoli, or water chestnuts would make a nice addition to the dish.  

Pineapple Chicken Stir Fry

Ingredients:

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 chicken breasts), cut into 1 inch pieces

1 (20 oz) can pineapple chunks in juice (drained but reserve 1/2 cup juice for sauce)

1 red bell pepper, cut into either strips or about 1 inch pieces

1 onion, cut into strips or about 1 inch pieces

1 TBSP soy sauce

1 TBSP rice wine vinegar

2 tsp. mirin (sweetened Asian wine)

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 tsp grated ginger root 

2 TBSP sugar

1 1/2 TBSP corn starch

2 TBSP canola oil

1.  In a small bowl combine reserved pineapple juice, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, mirin, garlic, ginger root, sugar and corn starch.  Set sauce aside.

2.  Salt and pepper chicken breast pieces.  Using a wok (if you don't have a wok you can use a large skillet) heat 2 TBSP of canola oil over high heat.  Once oil is hot add chicken (to test if oil is hot enough gently lay the end of one chicken piece in the oil.  If it starts to sizzle then you are good to go).  Toss chicken in oil for about 5 minutes, until the chicken starts to brown.  Remove chicken from wok.  Add red peppers and onions to the wok.  Cook for about 5 minutes and then add pineapple.  Cook for another 5-8 minutes or until vegetables and pineapple are heated all the way through.  Pour sauce in and stir until thickened (should take about 1-2 minutes).  Return chicken to wok and toss all ingredients together.  Cook another 5-8 minutes or until everything is heated through.

3. Sever over steamed rice. 

Yields about 4-6 servings