Sweet & Sour Chicken

Fill a medium pot 3/4 of the way up with salted water; cover and heat to boiling on high. Wash and dry the fresh produce. Cut off and discard the bottom 1/2 inch of the broccoli stem; cut the broccoli into small florets. Halve the tomatoes. Halve and peel the onion; small dice one half (you will have extra). Peel and roughly chop 2 cloves of garlic. Cut off and discard the stem of the pepper; thinly slice crosswise (for a milder dish, remove and discard the ribs and seeds). Thoroughly wash your hands immediately after handling.

Add the noodles and broccoli florets to the pot of boiling water, stirring gently to separate. Cook, stirring occasionally, 2 to 4 minutes, or until tender. Turn off the heat. Drain and rinse under warm water 30 seconds to 1 minute to prevent sticking. Return to the pot; add the sesame oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Cover to keep warm.

Meanwhile, pat the chicken dry with paper towels; place in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Add the cornstarch; toss to coat. In a medium pan (nonstick, if you have one), heat a thin layer of oil on medium-high. Once the oil is hot enough that a pinch of cornstarch sizzles immediately when added, add the coated chicken in an even layer (discarding any excess cornstarch). Cook, without stirring, 3 to 4 minutes, or until lightly browned. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, 2 to 3 minutes, or until browned on all sides. Transfer to a plate. Rinse and wipe out the pan.

In the same pan, combine the sugar and 2 tablespoons of water. Stir until the sugar has dissolved. Heat to boiling on medium-high. Once boiling, cook, stirring or gently swirling the pan frequently, 1 to 2 to minutes, or until the sugar begins to caramelize. Add the vinegar (carefully, as the mixture will bubble up). Cook, stirring frequently, 1 to 2 minutes, or until slightly thickened. Add the halved tomatoes, diced onion, chopped garlic, worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, and as much of the sliced pepper as you'd like, depending on how spicy you'd like the dish to be. Cook, stirring occasionally, 2 to 3 minutes, or until combined and the liquid is thickened. 

Add the browned chicken to the pan of gastrique. Cook, stirring frequently, 1 to 2 minutes, or until the chicken is glazed and cooked through. Serve the finished chicken and sauce over the dressed noodles and and broccoli. Garnish with the sesame seeds. Enjoy!