Cashew Chicken

I have always loved Chinese food, but from a cooking standpoint its always eluded me. I have struggled to find the authentic flavors and capture the magic of the food I’ve eaten in restaurants or in others homes with expertise.

Over the last few years, however, I have gained a lot of confidence in the kitchen. I have learned so many little tricks and become more familiar with authentic ingredients. I knew they had to be the ticket to great tasting Chinese food, and I tested that with this recipe.

Man, what a game changer! Knowing the ingredients that can make the flavors what I was looking for has allowed me to explore my favorites more easily. I highly encourage anyone interested in this style of cooking to allow themselves to experiment with these different ingredients.  They make the difference!

The other great thing about this recipe is that it’s quick! I’m talking lightning speed here! It’s really important to have all your ingredients ready and your sauce mixed so once you begin you can cruise through the process and have dinner ready in a flash.

Also, don’t feel like you need to have a wok to make this. Any large sauté pan will work. In some ways, it’s almost better to use an oversized sauté pan because of the way most of our stove tops are designed. It allows the heat to distribute more evenly in a wider space. Makes for great sears on meats and veggies, assuming you have that heat cranked up.

 

 

Finally, don’t feel limited to these veggies. Try different things; broccoli, snow peas, green beans, you name it. You can really make this meal unique to your tastes.

 

Cashew Chicken

2 chicken breasts, sliced thin

2 Tbs cornstarch

¼ tsp salt and white pepper (add more if desired)

1 Tbs Canola Oil

2/3 c cashew nuts, roasted and salted

2 carrots, sliced to matchsticks

2 celery stalks, thinly sliced

¼ of a medium onion, thinly sliced 

Sauce:

1 Tbs lite soy sauce

2 Tbs mirin

1 Tbs water or rice wine

1 tsp rice vinegar

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 inch ginger root, minced

1 ½ tsp sugar

¼ tsp red pepper flakes, if desired

Prep all your ingredients as the cooking happens fast. Slice the chicken into thin slices and place in a bowl. Add the cornstarch and the salt and white pepper and mix together.

Prep all the veggies; the carrots, celery, and onion into a single bowl. They can be saved in one bowl as they will all go into the pan at the same time. Also prep the garlic and the ginger root for the sauce. Mix all the ingredients for the sauce together and set it aside.

Heat the saute pan or wok to a high heat. Add the oil and once it’s smoking add the chicken. Spread it out and let it sear for a minute. Then start mixing the chicken and brown it on all sides. Once the chicken seems browned all around, add the veggies and allow them to cook for a minute. Turn the heat down to a medium heat and add the sauce. Heat the sauce long enough to heat the sauce and allow it to thicken.

Once the sauce is thickened, serve immediately with rice.