Sweet & Sour Chicken AND Mini Ravioli Soup

Grown-Up Sweet & Sour Chicken

Salt for cooking rice

1 1/3 cups long-grain rice

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 tablespoon oil

3 medium-size carrots (about 1 1/2 cups sliced)

1 large onion (about 1 cup sliced)

1 clove minced garlic

1 teaspoon minced ginger

1 large green bell pepper (about 1 1/2 cups sliced)

1 can (15 1/4 ounces) pineapple chunks in juice

2 tablespoons rice vinegar or white wine vinegar

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon packed light brown sugar

2 tablespoons cold water

1) Bring 2 2/3 cups lightly salted water to a boil. Add rice, stir & reduce heat. Cover pan & simmer until rice is tender - about 20 minutes.

2) Meanwhile, peel carrots & slice at 45 degree angle into 1/2-inch thick slices. Add carrots to skillet with oil over medium heat. Cut onion into 1/2-inch wide crescent-shaped slices, adding to skillet as you slice. Stir to mix well. Cook about 2 minutes until carrots soften.

3) Cut chicken into bite-size pieces, adding to skillet as you cut. Add garlic & ginger & stir well. Cook about 5-6 minutes until chicken is no longer pink.

4) While chicken cooks, stem, seed & cut pepper into 1/2-inch strips, adding to skillet as you cut. Drain pineapple juice from can into a 1-cup or larger measure, reserving the chunks. Add enough water to the juice to make 1-cup liquid.

5) As soon as chicken is done, add juice mixture to skillet & bring to boil. Then add vinegar, soy sauce & brown sugar. Stir well.

6) Mix cornstarch with cold water in small container w/tight lid. Shake well until lumps dissolve. Add mixture to skillet a little at a time, stirring constantly. Stir in about 1/2 pineapple chunks. Save rest for another use. Cook, stirring constantly until sauce thickens - about 2 minutes. Remove from heat & serve at once with additional soy to pass.

Notes;

1) Instead of rice, we've served over chinese noodles. 

2) It's good with pork as well.

3) I increased garlic & ginger to 2 teaspoons.

Mini Ravioli Soup

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 large onion (about 1 cup chopped)

8 ounces fresh mushrooms

1 clove minced garlic

2 (14 ounce) cans fat-free chicken broth

1 (14 1/2 ounce) can diced tomatoes with garlic & onion 

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

2 cups mini ravioli

shredded or grated parmesan for serving

1) Heat oil in 4 1/2-quart soup pot over medium heat. While oil is heating, peel & chop onion, adding to pot as you go. Cook about 3 minutes.

2) Rinse, pat & slice mushrooms, add to pot. Cook until they begin to release liquid, about 2 minutes.

3) Add garlic, broth, tomatoes w/juice, worcestershire & basil. Raise heat to high , cover pot & bring to boil.

4) When at rolling boil, add ravioli. When returns to boil, cook about 3-4 minutes until ravioli is tender. Serve at once, with parm.

Notes:

1) I added more worcestershire - maybe 2 teaspoons. 

2) I also added extra garlic.

3) I used frozen tortellini & was fine, but increased chicken broth to 6 cups.