Sweet and Sour Chicken with Fried Rice

Here's a great recipe to make at home instead of going out for Chinese.  When you calculate the savings, you'll be hooked on eating in.

Sweet and Sour Chicken
3 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into about 1 1/2" pieces
1 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp Accent (optional)
1 egg, beaten
4-6 TB cornstarch - you may need a little more

3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup catsup
1 TB soy sauce

Sprinkle the chicken with garlic salt, pepper, and Accent.  Let stand 1 hour or longer.  Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Make sauce:  Combine sugar, vinegar, chicken stock, catsup, and soy sauce in a heavy sauce pan.  Heat just until boiling.

Dip chicken in beaten egg and then in cornstarch.  In a non-stick fry pan, brown in hot oil.  Place in baking dish.  Cover with sauce and bake uncovered for 1 hour.  Turn chicken once or twice while baking.

Fried Rice
(Use as much or as little of the following ingredients as you want)

Cooked rice - start with about 3 cups of cooked rice
Eggs, scrambled (cooked) with garlic salt and pepper - start with 1 egg per 2 people and adjust as needed
1 onion, chopped and sauteed in oil
1 package frozen mixed vegetables OR 1 package each frozen peas and corn
Diced, cooked ham, chicken, pork, or bacon
Soy sauce
Vegetable oil

Heat frozen vegetables until just thawed, drain well.  In a large bowl mix together rice, scrambled eggs, onion, vegetables, and meat.

Heat about 1 TB vegetable oil in a large frying pan or wok until hot.  Fry serving-size portions of the rice mixture until hot.  Add soy sauce to taste.  Serve immediately.

If serving fried rice as a main dish, I increase the egg to about 2 eggs per every 3 people.  Making fried rice is a great way to turn 1 piece of leftover chicken or roast into a meal for several people.