Any Beginner's Sweet-and-Sour Chicken

1 egg, beaten
3 Tbsps. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. dry sherry
1 lb. chicken breast tenders (tendon removed), cut into bite-size chunks
1 Tbsp. butter or margarine
2 Tbsps. water, divided

Sauce:

1 8-oz. can pineapple chunks with juice
3 Tbsps. vinegar
4 Tbsps. sugar
2 Tbsps. soy sauce
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 Tbsp. cornstarch mixed with 2 Tbsps. water
1/3 cup yellow, red or orange bell pepper, chopped
1/4 onion, chopped (not too small)
1 celery stalk, thinly sliced
1 carrot, thinly sliced
1/2 lb. fresh snow peas

Garnish:

1/3 cup maraschino cherries, stems removed

Mix the egg, flour, salt and sherry together in a medium-sized bowl. Rinse chicken in lukewarm water; pat dry with paper towels. Remove and discard tendon; cut chicken into bite-size chunks. Add tenders to the bowl, and stir thoroughly to coat with the batter.

Combine all the ingredients for the sauce in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook an additional 2 minutes, stirring continuously. Reduce to a low simmer while cooking the chicken.

Melt 1 tablespoon butter or margarine in a large frying pan. Add the chicken tenders, separating each individual piece from the others in order to ensure even cooking. Add 1 tablespoon water to the pan, cover, and cook on medium-high heat for about 4 minutes, until chicken is golden brown on bottom side.

Flip each piece of chicken to ensure even cooking. Add another tablespoon of water, cover and cook on medium-high heat for another 4 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.

Pour warm sauce (with vegetables) over chicken and stir until chicken is thoroughly coated.

Garnish with maraschino cherries and serve over rice.

Yield: 4 servings

Notes:

The celery, carrots and snow peas are my additions. I skip the cherries and add the bell pepper to the sauce ingredients rather than use as a garnish. I especially like this recipe since it doesn't involved deep-fat frying (although that would taste good!). The chicken tenders are perfect and much better than regular chicken breasts.

Adapted from The Book Lover's Cookbook: Recipes Inspired by Celebrated Works of Literature and the Passages that Feature Them by Shaunda Kennedy Wenger and Janet Kay Jensen