Chinese Pineapple Chicken with Black Bean Sauce

Sharing an evening of laughter and provocative conversation with good friends seems to be the only reason for going out to dinner any more.  It certainly isn’t for the food.  Not since Judy and I discovered that we can have better tasting food, and a more versatile menu, by preparing our meals at home. 

If we want Italian, we make Italian.  If we want Chinese, we make Chinese. And so it goes. French, Moroccan, Vietnamese, Southern. We can prepare whatever type of cuisine strikes our fancy, and we know exactly what goes in it, how fresh it is, and how it fits within our healthier lifestyle.

Our amazing food journey can take us from country to country without ever leaving home. We do, however, keep Friday nights open for our favorite Italian restaurant, Ristorante Forli in Alamo, where we eat, drink, laugh and dance the night away. And, because Weight Watchers allows us to “Bank” food value points for special occasions, our Friday night affair is totally guilt free.

Judy, as Chef of the Week, took us to China last night, for something Sweet, Savory and Succulent. Forget Chinese take-out, this chicken dish is delicious and a breeze to make.

Our dinner last night and our Featured Recipe today is; 

Chinese Pineapple Chicken with Black Bean Sauce 

Chinese Pineapple Chicken

Ingredients

1 spray Cooking Spray

4 medium Scallions, chopped, both green and white parts

1 Tbsp Ginger root, fresh, chopped

2 cloves Garlic, minced (If you don’t already have a Microplane Grater/ Zester, this would be a good time to order one. See our ad at right)

1 pound Chicken Breast, uncooked, boneless, skinless, cut into 1 inch cubes

20 oz canned Pineapple, packed in juice, use tidbits

¼ cup Black Bean Sauce

2 cups Brown Rice, cooked, kept warm. We prefer Trader Joe’s Organic Brown Rice

¼ tsp Red Pepper flakes, or to taste

Instructions

Coat a large non-stick skillet with cooking spray and set over medium-high heat.  Add Scallions, Ginger and Garlic; cook until soft, about 3 minutes.

Add Chicken and cook until lightly browned on all sides, stirring often, about 5 minutes

Add Pineapple (with its juice) and Black Bean Sauce to the skillet.  Bring to a simmer and cook until Chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes more.

Divide Rice among 4 shallow bowls and spoon Chicken mixture over the top.

Yields 4 servings, about 1 cup Chicken and ½ cup Rice per serving.  PointsPlus value per serving is 9.

Level of difficulty is Easy. Prep time is 15 minutes. Cooking time is about 13 minutes.

Delicious “Lite” Recipes.  From Our Kitchen to Yours.  Enjoy the Adventure

Recipes shown may not be exactly the same as those found on any website. Judy and I "tweak" each recipe we feature, to some degree, incorporating our own unique tastes. PointsPlus values, however, are accurate. 

Weight Watchers and PointsPlus are registered trademarks of Weight Watchers Intl. Inc.  

Photo by Barry Baruh