2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast, cubed
1/4 c. oil
1/2 c. celery, sliced on the diagonal
1/2 c. carrots, sliced on the diagonal
1 med. onion
1/2 green bell pepper, sliced lengthwise into strips
1/2 red bell pepper, sliced lengthwise into strips (optional)
1/4 tsp. thyme
20 oz. can pineapple chunks, drained and juice reserved
2 tbsp. soy sauce
1/4 c. cider vinegar
1/4 c. brown sugar
1 rounded tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 c. cold water
Salt and fresh-ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 tsp. thyme
Rice Pilaf
1 c. toasted cashew nuts, for garnish

Two to three days in advance, cube chicken in bite-size pieces. Heat oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Add chicken and saute until it is about 3/4 of the way cooked, about 8 minutes; remove from pan and set aside. Add celery and carrots to pan and saute until barely softened, about 5 minutes; remove from pan and set aside. Slice onion in half crosswise. place flat side on counter and slice from top to bottom. Add onions and peppers to the pan and saute until just heated through and shiny, about 2 minutes; remove from pan and set aside.

In skillet, combine pineapple juice reserved from can, soy sauce, cider vinegar and brown sugar. Bring to a boil. Mix cornstarch with the cold water to dilute it. Add to liquid in skillet and, stirring constantly, cook until sauce is thickened. Remove from heat and add salt, pepper and thyme. Add other cooked ingredients and pineapple; toss. Mixture can be served or frozen at this point.

On the day of the wedding, prepare the Rice Pilaf. If the chicken mixture is frozen, defrost it and place it in a covered baking dish in a 325 degree oven for 20 to 30 minutes or until heated through. Place rice in bottom of chafing dish. Top with chicken mixture and garnish with cashews. Makes 10 servings.