simple sweet & sour stir fry

This may be my favorite stir fry recipe--and yes, real sweet and sour sauce is not pink! I use either chicken or pork, and whatever variety of vegetables my little heart desires. But here's my go-to combo:

1 lb boneless chicken breast or pork chop, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 small onion, diced
3-4 carrots, peeled and sliced (on fancy days I julienne)
1/2-1 c. snow peas, ends snapped
8 oz. can pineapple chucks in juice (or more...)
2 cloves garlic, minced

for sauce:
1/3 c. sugar
1/4 c. vinegar
2 T. soy sauce
2 T. cornstarch
1 t. bullion granules or 1 cube (I use chicken for chicken (duh) and beef for pork...but you do whatever you want!)

I recommend taking the time to do all of your prep before you start frying, including mixing the sauce and starting your rice. It's a lot less stressful. So, take a few minutes and chop everything. I'll wait.

For sauce: drain pineaple, reserving juice. Add enough water to juice to make 1 1/2 c. (There's about 1/2 c. juice, for those like me who use a bigger can of pineapple.) Add remaining ingredients. Stir thoroughly and set aside. (You'll have to stir again just before adding to pan to mix in the cornstarch.)

Heat about 1 T. olive oil in large skillet or stir fry pan over high heat. (Put an apron on; this can get messy.) Add chicken/pork. Stir fry until cooked through and starting to brown. Remove meat and set aside. Add a touch more oil if needed. Stir fry carrots, onions, and garlic for 2-3 minutes. Add pepper and peas; fry for a couple more minutes or until crisp-tender.

Push veggies from center of pan and pour in (recently stirred) sauce. Cook and stir until sauce is thickened and bubbly; cook 1 minute more. Add meat and pineapple. Heat through and serve over rice. Note: if you start your rice on the stovetop when you finish chopping everything, it tends to be done at about the same time. Serves 4 (or 1 person 4 days in a row...).