Don’t overlook Disney cookbooks when souvenir shopping

Family table. Sweet-and-Sour Grilled Chicken is a snap. The recipe is from `Fast Family Dinners,' a cookbook for parents and children to savor.

Theme park gift stores often sell cookbooks featuring Disney recipes. Look for them the next time you are looking for a great souvenir. This sweet and sour chicken recipe was published in Family Fun — Fast Family Dinners (Disney Editions, $14.95) in 2004.  This cookbook, from the editors of Disney’s Family Fun magazine, is not currently available at Amazon.com. But if you are lucky enough to find a copy, you will discover  100 “kid-friendly” recipes in a brightly illustrated format. The book is designed with picky eaters in mind and includes “kids’ steps” with every recipe to encourage budding chefs to lend a hand.

SWEET-AND-SOUR GRILLED CHICKEN

Yield: 4 servings.

2 garlic cloves, crushed

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Juice of 1/2 lime

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1/3 cup light brown sugar

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1/3 cup honey

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

4 tablespoons olive oil

2 whole boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in half

Italian parsley (optional)

1. In a shallow bowl, whisk together the garlic, vinegar, lime and lemon juices, brown sugar, mustard, honey, salt and pepper. Whisk in the olive oil.

2. Divide the sauce into thirds. Reserve one portion of the mixture for basting and one for dipping sauce, then add the chicken to the dish with the remaining portion and turn it to coat.

3. Grill the chicken for 4 to 5 minutes per side, or until the juices run clear. During the last minutes of cooking, baste the chicken with the portion of the reserved sauce to glaze it. Garnish with the chopped Italian parsley, if desired. Serve with the other reserved portion of the marinade for dipping.

Kids’ steps: Younger kids can whisk the marinade ingredients and pour the sauce over the chicken.