Pickles and Chicken Dish (Mancare de Castraveti Acri cu Pui)

For most people pickles are simply those cute spears that accompany a sandwich and you may or may not eat them.   For me, pickles can be the center of a dish.:)  I grew up with this dish and is a childhood favorite.  If you can, use pickles in salt brine instead of vinegar.  They are kind of hard to find, though.  If you can't find them, the ones pickles in vinegar will do just fine.  Don't worry about the brine overpowering the dish.  Before you cook them, you will rinse the pickles thoroughly with cold water.  This will remove a lot of the strong flavor.  Also, the cooking process along with the other flavors from the dish will make it taste absolutely delicious!  Enjoy!

Ingredients:
-1 Tbs vegetable oil
-1 medium onion, finely chopped
-2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into chunks
-1 tsp paprika
-2 cups water
-15-20 baby pickles
-1 Tbs cornstarch
-1 Tbs vegetable juice
-1 Tbs tomato paste
-1 tsp ground pepper
-1 tsp salt
-1 tsp dried parsley
-1 tsp dried dill
Directions:
Cut pickles into chunks and place in large colander.  Rinse thoroughly with cold water for a few minutes.  Let it drain.
In a large saucepan, heat the oil.  Add the onion and saute for a couple of minutes.  Add the chicken and sprinkle with paprika.  Stir and cook for about 5 minutes.  Add the water and pickles.  Cook for a couple of minutes.  Put about 1/4 cup of the liquid into a small container.  Add the cornstarch and mix well.   Pour mixture into saucepan.  Add the juice, paste, seasoning and dried herbs.  Bring mixture to boil.  Lower the heat and let it simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Serve with hot rolls or bread, to dip in the yummy sauce.  Enjoy!