Sweet and Sour Shrimp

This is not takeout sweet and sour.  No breading, nothing deep fried.  Just a light, sweet sauce that is delicious on vegetables, fruit, and shrimp.  My only advice would be to take the tails off the shrimp before adding them in, otherwise you will be picking them up with your fingers, which is not very elegant, can be messy, and is hard to do when you're holding a little squirming person with one hand.

Sweet and Sour Shrimp
based on recipe by Emeril Legasse

Ingredients:
1/4 cup plus 2 teaspoons water
3 Tablespoons ketchup
3 Tablespoons sugar
3 Tablespoons pineapple juice
2 Tablespoons vinegar
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes 
2 teaspoons cornstarch 
1/2-1 pound shrimp (I used frozen, precooked)
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic, grated
Canola oil
1 medium onion, sliced
1 bell pepper, cut into chunks
1 can pineapple chunks
1 bunch green onions, sliced


In a bowl, combine 1/4 cup water, ketchup, sugar, pineapple juice, vinegar, soy sauce, crushed red pepper, ginger and garlic.  
In a large pan, heat a small amount of oil over medium heat.
Add in the onion and bell pepper and cook for a few minutes until slightly softened.
If you are using raw shrimp, add them in and cook until pink.
If you are using cooked shrimp, pour in the sauce, and add the shrimp.  
Combine the cornstarch with 2 teaspoons water in a small bowl to make a paste.  Add this to the pan and cook for a minute until sauce starts to thicken.
Add in pineapple and green onion.
Serve over rice.