Sweet and Sour Chicken from Slimming Slow Cooker

1 tablespoon sunflower oil

1 kg (2 lb) boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cubed

4 spring onions, thickly sliced

2 carrots, halved lengthways and thinly sliced

2.5 cm (1 inch) piece of fresh root ginger, finely chopped

425 g (14 oz) can pineapple chunks in natural juice

300 ml (½ pint) chicken stock

1 tablespoon cornflour

1 tablespoon tomato purée

2 tablespoons caster sugar

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons malt vinegar

225 g (7½ oz) can bamboo shoots, drained

125 g (4 oz) bean sprouts

100 g (3½ oz) mangetout, thinly sliced

150 g (5 oz) rice, boiled

Preheat the slow cooker if necessary. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a high heat, add the chicken and cook for 3–4 minutes until browned on all sides. Add the white spring onion slices (reserving the green slices), the carrots and ginger and cook for 2 minutes.

Stir in the pineapple chunks and their juice and the stock. Put the cornflour, tomato purée and sugar in a small bowl, then mix in the soy sauce and vinegar to make a smooth paste. Add to the pan and bring to the boil, stirring.

Transfer the chicken mixture to the slow cooker pot, add the bamboo shoots and press the chicken pieces into the liquid. Cover and cook on Low for 6–8 hours until the chicken is cooked through.

Add the reserved green spring onion slices, the bean sprouts and mangetout and mix well. Cover again and cook for 15 minutes or until the vegetables are just tender. Serve with the boiled rice.