Slow Cooker Sweet and Sour Chicken

Another slow cooker recipe. This was an interesting one and I made lots of changes to the original recipe.
The quantities and times were just not right. Maybe it was a difference in slow cooker between countries?

I've made the changes and additions to the recipe below but if you want to check out the original go to the blog 'Cooking Classy'.

I did really enjoy it though. A good addition to my slow cooker repertoire. This will be one I make prepare the night before, turn on when I go to work, then thicken and finish off when I get home.

I tasted the sauce before thickening it and added more vinegar and some salt. I didn't use the tabasco because I had a little person eating the meal but would have love to.

While I always make sure our meals have a good proportion of vegetable, I'm on a bit of a mission at the moment to add even more. My thinking is that if the vegetables are part of the 'meat' part of the meal, them not only bulk it out but are virtually unnoticed.
You could also add broccoli, celery and carrots to this dish get more colour and a greater variety of vegetables in it.

I think I'll experiment next time and use the pineapple juice and try to reduce the amount of sugar in the dish.

The recipe made quite a lot. I served it with rice and vegetables and still had the other half to freeze for another meal.

Slow Cooker Sweet and Sour Chicken
Ingredients:
6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs cut into chunks
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup white vinegar (you may need to add more later. I did, but I like a strong vinegar hit)
3 Tbsp lemon juice
3 Tbsp soy sauce
3 Tbsp tomato paste
2 cloves of crushed garlic
1 tsp of finely grated ginger (or 1/4 tsp of ginger powder)
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 - 1 tsp tabasco sauce (optional)

1/3 cup chicken stock
2 tbs cornstarch
1 tin diced pineapple (you could use the juice but it is quite sweet already)
1 onion, cut into chunks
2 capsicums cut into chunks (I used a red and green for difference in taste and colour)
1/2 cup cashew nuts

Directions:
Place diced chicken in a slow cooker.  In a mixing bowl combine, 1/2 cup chicken broth, brown sugar, granulated sugar, vinegar, lemon juice, soy sauce, tomato paste, garlic powder, ginger, pepper and optional hot sauce.  Whisk until well blended.  Pour mixture over chicken in slow cooker, press chicken into sauce to cover.  Cover slow cooker with lid and cook chicken on low heat for 4-5 hours. 

This is a good time to check a piece of chicken is cooked and to adjust the flavour...vinegar, tabasco, salt.

In a small mixing bowl, stir together 1/3 cup chicken broth and cornflour.  Whisk until well blended then gently fold cornstarch mixture into chicken mixture (chicken will be very tender that's why I say "fold").  Fold in diced pineapple, cashews onion and bell pepper.  Cover slow cooker with lid and cook mixture on low for an additional hour until sauce thickens and fruit/veggies are slightly tender.  Serve warm with white or brown rice.