Cashew Chicken

Stir-fry is one of my favorite meals to make when I have to fix something quick and easy (and also delicious, that goes without saying).  I stole my mom’s wok when I left Ohio to come down to Mississippi, and it’s definitely the best thing I nabbed.  If you don’t have a wok, you can still make delicious stir-fry in a big skillet…but seriously, get a wok.  They’re amazing.

I made this recipe a few weeks ago (when I made sesame green beans) and completely forgot to post it.  It turned out really delicious, I love nuts and the cashews are definitely an awesome addition compared to other stir-fries I’ve made in the past.  If you don’t have cashews and don’t feel like going to the store to buy any, try substituting peanuts instead, it won’t be the same but it’ll still taste delicious.  The original recipe (from Taste of Home, of course!), was for cashew beef…but chicken is what I had on hand, so you know.  If you want to try the beef, use top sirloin or something similar.

Ingredients (4 servings):

4 tsp cornstarch

4 tsp soy sauce

1 tsp sesame oil

1 tsp oyster sauce

1/2 tsp ground ginger

Dash of cayenne pepper (I prefer a bit more, maybe as much as 1/4 tsp, but that’s just me, I’m also madly in love with sriracha hot chile garlic paste sooooo…)

1/2 cup cold water

1 lb chicken breast, cubed

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1 small onion, chopped

8 green onions, chopped

2/3 cup cashews

2 cloves garlic, minced

 

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, combine the first seven ingredients and whisk until smooth; set aside.

2. In a large skillet or wok, stir-fry chicken in 1 tbsp of oil until no longer pink.  Remove and keep warm.  Stir-fry onions in remaining oil until translucent; add green onions, cashews and garlic and stir-fry for 1 minute.

3. Stir cornstarch mixture and add to wok.  Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.  Add chicken and heat through.  Serve over rice.

Sesame Green Beans

I made these delicious fresh green beans a while back and just remembered that I had the pictures, but never posted it.  This recipe came from my favorite Taste of Home magazine in the lovely “weeknight solutions” section.  So helpful, there were quite a few quick and delicious sounding recipes there!  This recipe takes virtually no prep and is really incredibly simple, yet produces a delicious (and impressive) side.  Serve these green beans as a side for any Asian inspired main dish, like cashew chicken (that’s what I did!).

Ingredients:

1 lb fresh green beans

1 red pepper, sliced

1 tbsp rice vinegar

1 tbsp sesame oil

1 tbsp soy sauce

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat over to 425 degrees.

2. Coat green beans and red pepper with rice vinegar, sesame oil, and soy sauce.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Place on a greased baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes, or until tender.