Simmered Chinese Chicken

I got this recipe from my sister-in-law, Jenny, and she got it from her mother-in-law, Mary, and I don't know where she got it from. We took a family trip to visit them in Oregon, and Jenny made this for us. It was really good, and goes together really quickly. The original recipe calls for chicken thighs. I rarely cook recipes that serve each person a full piece of chicken. It's less expensive to cut up a few breasts or tenders. So if I can adjust the recipe, I do, and that's what I did here. The thighs are delicious, but take a little longer to cook. The pieces brown up and cook in just a few minutes. You could do either, they are both good!Recipe:
-1 T oil
-chicken thighs, enough for your family, or a couple chicken breasts or tenders, diced into bite size pieces
1/3 c soy sauce
1/3 c brown sugar
1/2 c water
1 T ketchup
1/4 c apple juice
dash of red pepper
1 clove of crushed garlic
2 T cornstarch mixed into 2 T water (if using thighs, wait to add this until the end)
If using thighs, skin and trim them if needed. Heat oil in skillet. Brown chicken in oil, on both sides.
Mix all the other ingredients and pour over chicken and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cover, cooking for 35-45 min for thighs, turning the chicken twice. For pieces, leave uncovered and cook 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally to avoid sticking.
If using thighs, remove the chicken and add cornstarch mixture to thicken juices, then pour over chicken. If you did pieces and mixed it in the beginning, the juices will have already thickened.
Top with sesame seeds and serve over rice.