Ok, who else craves Chinese fairly regularly?? Who else went paleo, and doesn't miss bread at all, but misses those breaded dishes?? Me, me, me! I've googled recipes galore for Sweet and Sour sauce, but couldn't find anything truly Paleo. Everyone wanted sugar or ketchup or something... Now, bear in mind that I asked if soy sauce is Paleo (probably not, maybe only certain versions), but the quantity is very small and I think it could be left out.
I had a craving, so I decided to experiment. It turned out really well! The husband will get to sample my experiment tomorrow, I'll try to get him to comment with his thoughts. Here's what you'll need (feeds 2):
1 can pineapple chunks (look for organic!)
3/4 Cup vinegar
1 chunk tomato (I cut about 1/8 off the tomato that sits in my fridge and gets used slowly for salads)
1/8 tsp. ginger
1/4 tsp. soy sauce
2 Tbsp honey
Arrowroot powder as needed (probably 1/8 Cup)
2 breasts Chicken (you can substitute the appropriate amount of shrimp or beef)
1/2 large Green Bell Pepper
1/4 Onion
Add juice from pineapple can (should yield 3/4 Cup), vinegar, soy sauce and honey to pot or sauce pan. Simmer until warmed through, add ginger and tomato chunk. Bring to a boil and cook just until sauce begins to thicken. Reduce heat and remove tomato chunk. (I think you could also used tomato paste, but I'd use a very small amount, maybe 1 Tbsp.) Add arrowroot powder as needed until sauce attains desired consistency.
Cut chicken into very small pieces. I did sliced, bite-size pieces. Cut pepper and onion into similar bite-size chunks. Cook chicken in 1 tsp. coconut oil until cooked through. Once chicken is cooked, add onions, pineapple and green pepper. Cook until green pepper just begin to soften (I prefer firmer veggies in my sweet and sour chicken).
Pour sauce over chicken mixture. Stir together and simmer for a few minutes. Enjoy!
(as always, if you make this and have suggestions, please feel free to comment. I'm experimenting after all!)
As I've continued to play with this, I find the ginger is optional, though it provides a nice balance to the sweet. The touch of tomato is helpful. Also, there are wheat-free/gluten-free soy sauces available that make it perfectly OK to use.
ReplyDeleteAs when using cornstarch or flour, it is easiest to mix the arrowroot with a little bit of water and stir until smooth before adding to your sauce.
I made this tonight. It was really good! I used coconut aminos instead of soy sauce, a whole onion, and served it on a bed of spinach. YUM. Thanks for posting this. :)
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you liked it! Those sounds like GREAT changes! We usually use gluten-free soy sauce, but I know lots of people prefer coconut aminos. Thanks for the feedback!
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