Sweet and Sour Chicken

I made this recipe while we had extended family in town for Nephi's baptism last month. It was part of the Aussie/NZ recipe swap and my teammate was Peter J from Tasmania, Australia. This is one of his creations. I really like how thick the sauce is. I used my fake pineapple in place of the real deal and you really couldn't tell.

Sweet and Sour Chicken
2 chicken breasts, diced
2 tsp olive or vegetable oil
pepper and salt

Sauce: Part 1
1 medium onion, diced
2 tsp olive or vegetable oil
1/2 cup pineapple pieces
1/4 - 1/2 cup bell peppers, finely diced

Sauce: Part 2
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup white OR cider vinegar ( I used rice vinegar)
1/4 cup pineapple juice
1/4 cup water
2 tsp cornstarch

In a small saucepan saute onion from Sauce: Part 1 in oil over medium-low heat until soft but not brown. Mix in pineapple and bell peppers and set aside. Rinse the saucepan, add Sauce: Part 2 ingredients and mix thoroughly. Bring to a gentle boil stirring constantly until sauce thickens slightly, remove from heat and stir in Sauce: Part 1 ingredients. This can be done in advance and refrigerated to allow flavors to "marry."
Season chicken with salt/pepper to taste. Cook chicken in oil over medium-high heat until cooked through. Meanwhile, gently warm up the sauce. Mix the chicken in thoroughly. Serve over hot cooked rice.

Harry and David's Onion and Pepper Relish

This recipe was a blue ribbon winner at the 2011 Tillamook County Fair!

This relish is amazing! I first tried it last Christmas when visiting my in-laws. My mother-in-law has a friend (E.R.) who brought it over. I tried this and HAD to have the recipe! This is the first time making it and I thought it turned out awesome. I did double the recipe. I figured if I was going to make one batch - and take the time for that - might as well double it so there is plenty to go around! This is so good as a topper for cream cheese and used as a dip for crackers or chips. I will only put the amount for 1 batch. This does make a lot. For a double batch I ended up with 21 pints and 1 half -pint.

Harry and David's Onion and Pepper Relish
5 - 14 1/2 oz cans chopped tomatoes, drained (I used diced tomatoes)
6 bell peppers, seeds removed (I used 3 red and 3 green)
6 cups sugar
2 TBSP salt
1-2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (I used 1 1/2 tsp)
6 jalapeno peppers with seeds and ribs removed (a spoon works well for this.)
3 medium onions
2 cups white vinegar
2 boxes (1.75 oz each) powdered pectin

First chop all the vegetables. This is the most labor intensive. It goes together very easily once all the chopping is done. To make this quicker I used a food processor.

Mix everything together, except the pectin in a very large stockpot. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer about 1 hour. Add in the pectin and boil for 1 minute.

Pour relish into hot sterilized jars. Don't go any larger than a pint. Leave 1/2 inch headspace and process in a waterbath for 15 minutes.

For a great Christmas present - or anytime present attach a tag that reads "For an easy dip, mix jar contents with 2 (8 oz each) packages of cream cheese and serve with corn chip scoopers."