Sweet and Sour Chicken

Steps

1. Wash the basmati rice and combine it with cold water and sea salt flakes in a pot.
2. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Cover and let it simmer for 14 minutes undisturbed.
3. While the rice is cooking, prepare the vegetables: Slice the bell peppers into large chunks by removing seeds and rotating them 90 degrees. Dice the onion in half lengthwise, peel, slice thinly across, and add both the diced peppers and sliced onions to a bowl.
4. Prepare the aromatics: Grate the garlic cloves and ginger using a fine microplane to create a paste; mix these together.
5. Slice the chicken breast into large even pieces by rotating them 90 degrees and dicing. Place the prepared chicken in a separate area.
6. In a mixing bowl, combine all sweet and sour sauce ingredients: light or low sodium soy sauce, store-bought pineapple juice, honey, Worcestershire sauce, apple cider vinegar (or tomato sauce), corn flour (or cornstarch). Whisk until smooth and set aside.
7. After 14 minutes, turn off the heat for the rice but leave the lid on for a final 4 minutes. Remove the lid and fluff the rice with a fork or spatula.
8. Heat a large pan or pot over high heat and add 30 mL of grape seed oil (or neutral flavored oil). Sauté the sliced onions and bell peppers, adding sea salt flakes to taste, for about 4 minutes until they develop color and start to caramelize. Remove the vegetables from the pan.
9. Place the same pan or pot back over high heat and add another 20 mL of grape seed oil (or neutral flavored oil). Add the diced chicken along with a pinch of sea salt flakes, spreading it out so it does not sit on top of one another. Sear for 3 minutes to get a nice brown color on the outer edges.
10. After 3 minutes, mix the chicken around and continue cooking for another 3 minutes. If water collects at the bottom, drain it off.
11. Add the garlic and ginger paste to the pan with the chicken and mix around to cook for 45 seconds until fragrant.
12. Next, add the sautéed or stir-fried vegetables back into the pan and mix again for another 30 to 40 seconds to combine flavors.
13. Pour in the prepared sweet and sour sauce. Whisk it slightly before adding to ensure the corn flour is broken up. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly until the sauce thickens and coats everything.
14. Optionally, add sesame seeds and mix through. Turn off the heat and remove from the stove top.