Better than a restaurant Sweet and Sour Chicken and Fried Rice...

Alright...

I give my friends what they ask for- and one friend in particular asked that I post this recipe after I bragged about it on Facebook.

I can't let a complement as awesome as "This is better than a restaurant's" go without telling everyone!

Unfortunately, because I didn't have my camera out, this recipe will be JUST the recipe...hopefully, someday I can update it with a picture tutorial.

For the Sweet and Sour Chicken:

Cut up 3 or 4 chicken breasts into bite sized pieces (this is easier if they are still partially frozen), put them in a bowl, and then pour milk over the top until its barely covered. Let the chicken soak for 5-15 minutes (while the chicken is soaking, add oil into a deep pan- about 1/4 inch, maybe even less, would suffice and heat it.)

Then, put 1 cup of flour and 1/2 tsp of salt in a ziplock bag or bowl with lid...drain the milk off the chicken, add it to the flour mixture and shake, shake, shake

Once your oil is hot enough to fry the chicken, add the pieces and cook until cooked through and starting to get golden brown. Set aside in a bowl or a clean ziplock baggie.

Sauce:
3/4 c sugar
1/2 c vinegar
4 TBS ketchup
1 TBS soy sauce

Let the sauce boil. It will reduce down in about 5-10 minutes (you don't want it very thick because the chicken will be crispy and this coats it like the orange sauce coats Orange Chicken at Panda Express, you'd want it to basically be able to lightly coat a spoon and run off) If you get impatient (which I did) you can always take a tsp of flour and add it to some cold water. Whisk it until there are no lumps and then slowly pour it into the sauce, constantly stirring  rapidly as you pour. This will help thicken it up sooner.

Pour the sauce over the chicken and stir or shake to coat it all.


For the Fried Rice:

Prepare 4 servings of rice as directed on your package. Set aside.

In a fry pan or wok add sesame oil and heat it. Add desired amount of mixed vegetables (I had frozen corn, peas, carrots, and green beans, you could use whatever veggies your little heart desires... I used about 1 1/2 to 2 cups...I don't ever really measure it. Just enough so that I'm sure whomever eats the rice is getting a serving of veggies out of it)

Cover to steam, soften and heat the veggies, remove the cover and allow the vegetables to lightly brown and crisp, then add the rice. Stir together and allow the rice to crisp up a bit.

Next- make a well in the middle of your rice/veggie combo so you can see the bottom of your fry pan/wok, crack 2 eggs into it and let them fry a little (so the whites start to set up) then use your spatula to lightly scramble them.

Once the eggs are almost cooked (still a bit tacky and runny) stir them into the rice and veggies and allow to fry a little more until the egg appears to be all cooked through.

Finally, stir in a splash of soy sauce for color and flavor (it would be about a tablespoon or tablespoon and a half). Stir into rice until all of it is evenly coated. Then sprinkle the top with onion powder and stir again...voila (**Note** this  rice is one of my kitchen secrets! Its one of my husband's favorite things that I make...)

And...there you go... restaurant quality food (or better, according to my family) without the restaurant price tag, or restaurant calories (well, maybe almost as many calories...LOL)

Bon Appetit!

Hugs and Loves until next time darlings!