Chicken Thighs with Sweet and Sour Sauce

My Sweetie Pie husband has this thing for Chinese sweet and sour dishes. He always gets excited when he orders them, and then is always disappointed when his plate arrives, glowing with sauce a shade of red not found in nature. So I had my eye out for a homemade, “natural” sweet and sour equivalent.

Then, a few years ago, I went on a cookbook binge at the library and cleared the shelves of any book with the words “quick”, “easy”, or “cheap”. This was when I had three babes and my oldest was four-years-old. I was feeling stretched a little thin.

Anyway, this great book from America’s Test Kitchen was one of the ones that I brought home. I was so thrilled to find this recipe. I copied it and am so glad I held onto it. It’s wonderfully delicious and everyone loved it (especially the Sweetie Pie).

I made just a few ingredient changes to make it allergen-friendly and refined-sugar-free. I used coconut oil instead of butter, and honey instead of brown sugar. I was pleased with these changes. My family couldn’t seem to get enough of the sauce, so I’d consider doubling the sauce next time.

I also simplified the cooking method just a bit. I know that America’s Test Kitchen is, in fact, a test kitchen and that surely they’ve tested every single way to make a recipe. But in my opinion, the best way to make a recipe is also the most efficient one. Some of the instructions felt a little fussy, so I just simplified it a little bit. Everything worked out just great.

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