Chicken and Cashews

Just tried this meal tonight, from Cooking Light's 100 Easy Chicken Recipes. Completely delicious - hearty, flavorful, healthy, and actually tasted like good Chinese food, not like the pale imitations that I've tried before.  Alright, Cooking Light, I see you.


Ingredients:

3 tablespoons Soy Sauce, divided
2 tablespoons Dry Sherry
4 teaspoons Cornstarch, divided
1 pound Chicken Breast, cubed
1 cup Broth OR 1 cup Water + 1/2 Bouillon Cube
2 tablespoons Oyster Sauce
1 tablespoon Honey
2 teaspoons Sesame Oil, divided
1 Yellow Onion, chopped
1 Red Bell Pepper, chopped
3-inch Ginger Root, peeled + grated
2-3 Garlic Cloves, minced
2-3 Green Onion shoots, diced
1/4 cup raw Cashews

Here are all of the ingredients.  Oh, but minus the red bell pepper.  And the garlic.  Off to a great start.  Just reference the ingredient list - what, you mean that you can't tell that the tupperware is full of sesame oil?

Great thing is, all of the fancy things like sherry and oyster sauce stay good FOREVER.  I mean it.  Just stow them in the back of your pantry and you'll be pleasantly surprised when you discover them a year later after you get a craving for this recipe.

1. In a large bowl, add chicken (1 pound chopped), sherry (2 tbsp), soy sauce (1 tbsp) and cornstarch (2 tsp) and mix well.

Mmm. Raw meat.

2. In a small bowl, mix soy sauce (2 tbsp), cornstarch (2 tsp), broth (1 cup), honey (1 tbsp), oyster sauce (2 tbsp).

I actually use bouillon cubes, since I never remember to buy more chicken broth, and the remaining half a box inevitably goes bad in my fridge when I do.  1/2 cube to one cup of water, and voila. I also use more than the original recipe, since I wanted more sauce.

3. Add sesame oil (1 tsp) and chicken mix to a non-stick pan and cook for 2-3 minutes (medium-high heat) until slightly browned.  Remove from pan and place back in bowl.

4. Add more sesame oil to pan as needed (1 tsp) and onion (1 medium, chopped), celery (2-3 stalks, chopped), red bell pepper (1, chopped), garlic (2-3 cloves, minced), and ginger (3-inch root, peeled + grated).  Cook for 1 minute.

The chopping is the only part that takes a little time. If only I had a chopping fairy.  Ginger, actually, is my favorite - super easy, though it looks intimidating in the grocery store. The skin peels off easily, and then use a cheese grater to shred it.

5. Add chicken back into pan and cook for 1 minute.  Add sauce from small bowl and bring to a boil, stirring constantly.  Cook for 1 more minute.

Not great photography, I know.  I'll work on it.

6. Turn off the heat, and stir in green onions (2-3 shoots, diced) and raw cashews (1/4 cup).

And presto! Chicken with cashews.  No need for extra salt or any other seasoning, and I had it over rice pilaf (from a box, don't get too excited).

So, just 99 more easy chickens to go. Bring it on.

Serving Size: 4

Prep Time: 30 minutes (plus 15 to cook)

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Original Recipe:

Cooking Light's 100 Easy Chicken Recipes

Nutritional Information

Amount per serving

• Calories: 257
• Fat: 9g
• Saturated fat: 1.9g
• Monounsaturated fat: 4.2g
• Polyunsaturated fat: 2.3g
• Protein: 26g
• Carbohydrate: 17g
• Fiber: 1.9g
• Cholesterol: 63mg
• Iron: 2mg
• Sodium: 584mg
• Calcium: 45mg