Sweet - and - Sour Chicken

This recipe I originally found in Taste of Home. I have tweaked it a bit to suit our family's tastes. However - the sauce is true to the original recipe. I have used this recipe for a large women's group dinner (75 ladies) and there were oohs and aahs all around. Enjoy!

• Ready In: 55 mins
• Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 3  tablespoons sugar
• 2  tablespoons cornstarch
• 1⁄8 teaspoon pepper
• 1 (6 ounce) can  pineapple juice
• 3  tablespoons ketchup
• 2  tablespoons lemon juice
• 2  tablespoons soy sauce
• 2  large boneless chicken breasts, in strips
• 1  large carrot, sliced
• 1⁄4 cup onion, chopped
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons  vegetable oil
• 1  medium zucchini, sliced 1/2 inch thick
• 1⁄2 medium  sweet red pepper, cut into strips
• 1⁄2 medium green pepper, cut into strips
• 1 (8 ounce) can  unsweetened pineapple tidbits, drained
•  cooked rice

Directions

1. In a bowl, combine sugar, cornstarch, pepper and pineapple juice until smooth. (*If you drain juice from tidbits and add apple or orange juice to make 6 oz - this works just as well.) Stir in the ketchup, lemon juice and soy sauce. Set aside.
2. In a nonstick skillet or wok, cook chicken, carrot and onion in oil (or use veg. spray - works just as well) until chicken is browned.
3. Add the zucchini and red and green peppers. Stir until vegetables are crisp-tender.
4. Pour sauce that was set aside over chicken/vegetable mixture.
5. Add pineapple.
6. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.
7. Serve over hot cooked rice.