Sweet and Sour Chicken

This is from the April 2005 issue of Everyday Food and it is quite good. The sweet and sour sauce is not too thick, too sweet or too cloying. I think it will be a great warm-weather recipe addition to the Secret Recipe Box. 

Sweet and Sour Chicken

2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks
3 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp cornstarch
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1/3 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup ketchup
4 tsp sugar
3 tbsp vegetable oil
4 bell peppers (red, green, yellow or a combination), cut into 1-inch pieces
8 scallions, cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces, white and green parts separated
6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
Cooked white rice
1 cup pineapple tidbits

In a large bowl, toss chicken with 1 tbsp each soy sauce and cornstarch, 1 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. In another bowl, combine remaining 2 tbsp soy sauce and tbsp cornstarch, vinegar, ketchup, sugar and 1/2 cup water; set aside.

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high. Cook half the chicken, turning occasionally, until browned and almost cooked through, 4 min.; remove. Cook the remaining chicken in another tbsp oil; remove.

Add remaining tablespoon oil to the pan. Add peppers, white parts of scallions and garlic; cook over med-hi, stirring, till peppers are crisp-tender, about 3 min.

Whisk soy-sauce mixture; add to pan. Return chicken; add scallion greens and pineapple. Cook, stirring, till sauce has thickened and chicken is cooked through, about 2 min. Serve immediately over rice.