Like White on Rice

I think I’ve discussed before that growing up in Lakeland wasn’t exactly conducive to earning a proper culinary education. Sure, we had a handful of TexMex joints and actually some pretty decent Italian, but your options for a taste of the orient were either Bamboo Garden (love the crispy rice noodles that come to the table at the start of every meal) or Hunan, where a framed picture of Gloria Estefen hung proudly on the wall.*

Authentic, Hunan was probably not, but they did make some of the crunchiest, tangiest sweet and sour chicken in town. Oh, to this day, I have fantasies about the little tub of red sauce being unveiled before my hungry eyes. While this dish doesn’t quite recreate all the sweet, pineapply goodness of my childhood, if I close my eyes and pop in my old Into the Light CD, I’m almost there.

*Side bar- I think the story involved her stopping by Lakeland while on tour, but it may also have had something to due with her choosing Lakeland as her destination for recuperation from a tour bus accident. This was never quite clear.

Chicken with Homemade Pineapple Barbeque Sauce
Serves 2-3

3-4, 6 oz. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 medium red onion, finely chopped
2 c. fresh pineapple, chopped
¼ c. brown sugar
3 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
¼ c. tamari (dark soy sauce)
8 oz. tomato sauce
1, 6 oz. can sliced water chestnuts
3 scallions, thinly sliced
white or brown rice, prepared according to package directions

Place a large skillet or grill pan over medium-high heat and coat with a thin layer of the olive oil, about 2 tablespoons. Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper and place on the grill. Cook until each side is golden brown and the chicken is firm to the touch, about 5-6 minutes on each side. Remove from the grill and let rest.

While the chicken is cooking, place a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the onion and pineapple and cook until the onion is soft, about 6 minutes. Add the brown sugar, vinegar, tamari and tomato sauce. Simmer sauce for a couple of minutes to thicken. Add the water chestnuts and adjust seasonings to taste.

To serve, stir the sliced scallions into the rice and put some on each plate. Slice the chicken breasts on an angle and pour the sauce over each one.