Sweet-and-Sour Turkey and Vegetables (Recipe)

Buy prepackagedcut-up turkey breast strips available in most supermarkets and frozen vegetable mixtures to speed up the preparation of this chinese inspired, sweet-and-sour meal in a dish.  Check as it nears the end of the suggested cooking time to avoid overcooking the rice and vegetables.  Top each serving with a sprinkling of peanuts or cashews.

Ingredients

1 (16 ounce) package frozen stir-fry vegetables with rice, partially thawed

1 (16 ounce) package frozen stir-fry vegetables, partially thawed

1/2 cup prepared Chinese sweet-and-sour sauce

3 tablespoons white or red wine vinegar

3 tablespoons hoisin sauce

1 1/2 teaspoons Chinese chili paste with garlic

1 pound skinless, boneless turkey breast strips

1 (10 ounce) package frozen pea pods, thawed and drained (optional)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Steps

1.  In a 3 1/2 or 4 quart electric slow cooker, combine both types of stir-fry vegetables.  In a small bowl, mix together the sweet-and-sour sauce, 2 tablespoons each of the vinegar and hoisin sauce, and the chili paste with garlic.  Add half of this sauce to the vegetable mixture and mix well.  Stir in the turkey strips and the remaining sauce, mixing well.

2.  Cover and cook on the low heat setting 4 to 4 1/2 hours, or until the turkey is cooked through, stirring once during the cooking time, if possible.

3.  Stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon vinegar and hoisin sauce along with the pea pods, salt, and pepper.  Let stand 5 minutes before serving.