General Tso's Chicken

I got this recipe from my friend's blog, Shayla's Kitchen. My husband and I both like to try different kinds of foods and this one got a huge nod of approval from the both of us. The slightly "fried" chicken gives it an authentic Chinese-food taste and the sauce is extremely flavorful and tangy. I have already made this dish twice this month and I'm sure it will appear on our table again very soon. (Picture courtesy of dinnerplanner.com)

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb. chicken breasts, cut into small 1" pieces
• Flour
• 2 Tbsp. vegetable or canola oil
• 1/4 c. sugar
• 1/4 c. soy sauce
• 1/4 c. pineapple juice
• 1/4 c. white distilled vinegar (I used rice vinegar and it worked great too)
• 2 tsp. minced garlic
• 1 tsp. fresh ginger, finely grated
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper (optional)
• 1 Tbsp. cornstarch, mixed with 3 Tbsp. water
• 4 green onions, sliced

Dredge chicken in flour until lightly coated and fry in oil over medium heat until cooked and crispy. Drain excess oil. Sprinkle cayenne pepper over the chicken and keep warm on low heat. In a saucepan, combine sugar, soy sauce, pineapple juice, vinegar, garlic, and ginger and heat gently. When sugar has dissolved, slowly stir in the cornstarch mixture and stir constantly until sauce has thickened. Pour sauce over chicken and serve over rice.