healthy stirfry

Sweet & Sour Chicken is one of my favorite Chinese dishes but I never order it in restaurants because the chicken is always battered and deep fried so I learned to make it myself. And I made some today. There’s just one rule with my sweet & sour chicken… fresh pineapple!

A lot of stores sell pre-cut pineapple so I just bought a small container for my pineapple chicken. I tried making it with canned pineapple but I’d rather make something else than use canned pineapple for this dish. Fresh makes a huge difference.

For the juice, I didn’t want to buy a big bottle of juice so I got a 6-pack of tiny  6-ounce cans and just used one can for the recipe. I needed 1/3 of a cup and I drank the rest. Sweet & sour chicken cooks fast and I served it over sushi rice, which is a sticky rice. In my opinion, this sweet and sour chicken is as good or better than any I’ve had from a restaurant. I also like this meal because it’s delicious and it has lots of antioxidant-rich vegetables and lean protein. The last time I tried sweet & sour chicken at a restaurant, there was literally ONE piece of red pepper (the picture showed lots of red & green peppers). That was the day I decided to make my own, having no idea how easy it really would be. Click here for the recipe.

I also made a loaf of no-knead bread… again. It seems like I make at least one loaf a week.

I switch around between the original, which I made today, then whole wheat, then fruit & nut or olive. This bread never disappoints and as many loaves as I have made, I’m still amazed every time at this easy, nothing-to-do method for baking bread. Click here for the recipe.

I love bread. If I ever had to be gluten-free I’d be one sad human being! So that’s what I made today. …just sharing… – Jenny Jones

p.s. I am loving all the positive comments and especially the photos I’ve received of my own recipes made by you (wanna see?). I never expected so many people would try my recipes since they are not fancy, and I just want to say thank you for your confidence in me and for taking time to write. – Jenny Jones

Yes, it tastes as good as it looks – but only if you use fresh pineapple. I promise that if you use fresh pineapple in this delicious meal, you will never use canned again. It makes all the difference… well, most of the difference. Different colors of peppers add more complexity to this dish as well as a variety of antioxidants. Each color brings its own anti-aging benefits.

Stir frying is great for weeknight dinners because by the time your rice is cooked, dinner is ready. This one cooks in less than ten minutes. Homemade Chinese will always be healthier because you can use less oil and add more vegetables. The day I decided to create my own healthier sweet & sour chicken was the last time I ordered it in a restaurant. I got the chicken (and too much sauce) with two pieces of green pepper and one red one. Seriously. Three pieces of peppers. And canned pineapple! Click here for the recipe. – Jenny Jones