Pineapple Chicken

I love sweet saucy chicken bites over a bed of rice, it's something I've loved ever since my parents took me to a Chinese restaurant when I was in college.  Prior to then I never went with them because I didn't think I'd find anything I would like because I am insanely picky.  They assured me that I would like Sesame Chicken from this place, and since I was a poor college student home for the weekend I really had no other choice unless I wanted their leftovers from before I got back to town.  Well, thank you mom and dad for encouraging/forcing me to try this because I've never looked back.  While Sesame Chicken certainly isn't the most authentic Chinese foods out there, it's something that I crave frequently.  Again, it goes to my love of sweet/spicy saucy chicken and rice.

Over the last few years I've experimented with dishes similar to Sesame Chicken by varying up the flavors.  My favorites are tropical flavors, such as orange chicken.  One day while grocery shopping and grabbing some Worcestershire Sauce I saw a bottle of Pineapple Sauce out of the corner of my eye.  Seeing that and the chicken in my cart made me want to make a Chicken in Pineapple Sauce over rice.  I read the ingredients, ignored all the High Fructose Corn Syrup and decided I could make something similar at home, but add a bit of heat as well.

I loved everything about this, as I knew I would, and my only complaint is that I didn't make enough for leftovers.

Pineapple Chicken
Printer Friendly Recipe

Ingredients:
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, seasoned lightly with S & P and cut to 1" chunks
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup Pineapple preserves
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup semi-dry white wine (such as Chenin Blanc)
(1/4 - 1/2 cup chicken broth)
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 teaspoons reduced sodium soy sauce
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, depending on heat desired

Directions:
In a medium bowl, whisk together pineapple preserves, orange juice, wine, vinegar, soy sauce and red pepper flakes

Heat Olive Oil over medium heat, then add chicken, turning occasionally until browned on all sides (check frequently since they're small pieces).  Once almost finished, add garlic to the chicken and cook about 1-minute until fragrant.

Add the prepared sauce to the cooked chicken and heat through until just boiling.  Reduce heat and simmer until thickened to desired consistency.

If you would like to make a thinner sauce, slowly add in chicken broth until the sauce reaches desired consistency.  For a thicker sauce, simmer longer.

Serve with steamed rice (and some sugar snap peas or bell peppers would be great).

Source: Telly's Tasty Tidbits original
Pineapple