This recipe has been in our family for a very long time. It is one of our favorite comfort foods. I usually make extra rice on the weekend. I marinade the chicken in the morning before heading to work. It takes no time at all to make when I walk in the door from a long day. Rice is even better when left over for stir fries. Also, did you know you can freeze rice? You sure can! Even if you make everything when you walk in the door it is a quick weeknight meal. Hope you give it a try!
Cashew Chicken
Ingredients
Marinade:
3 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
1 Tablespoon Rice Vinegar
2 teaspoons fresh ginger (or 1 teaspoon of powdered ginger)
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs (or breasts), cut into bite size pieces
Sauce:
2 Tablespoons ice cold water
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon cornstarch
2 Tablespoons corn or peanut oil (you can use canola or vegetable too) I use peanut oil. It is great for cooking in high heat.
2 green onions chopped
Snow Peas, Broccoli, Carrots or no veggies too. It is up to you.
1 cup unsalted cashews, roughly chopped (sometimes I add, sometimes I don’t. Kent and I love the cashews!)
Steamed rice for serving (I use jasmine or long grain rice. 2 cups water to 1 cup rice. You can use whatever you want. Your choice!)
Directions
1. Marinate the chicken in a large bowl with 2 Tablespoons of the soy sauce, rice vinegar and ginger. Stir and set aside for 15 minutes. You can also marinate all day or overnight. (I buy the boneless, skinless chicken thighs. I cut them up in bite size pieces before I put in the marinade) Also, this marinade can be used for chicken breasts to grill. You don’t have to make stir fry if you don’t want to!!
2. Make the sauce; combine 2 Tablespoons water, 1 Tablespoon soy sauce, the Worcestershire sauce, sesame oil, sugar and cornstarch, and store to dissolve the sugar and cornstarch. (I double the sauce recipe. I always double it as it makes the rice and chicken even more flavorful. You can try one to start and see what you think. Also, make sure the water is ice cold. The cornstarch will blend better.)
3. Stir Fry the chicken; heat a large frying pan over high heat until very hot and add 2 Tablespoons of oil. (I use a stainless steel frying pan. You shouldn’t use a non stick at high heat) Remove the chicken from the marinade, draining it well and discard the marinade. Add the chicken to the frying pan and stir fry unit opaque. 5-7 minutes.
4. Add the green onions (and whatever veggies you want to add) and chopped cashews. Mix the chicken and whatever you add together. Give the sauce a quick stir, add to the pan and stir until the sauce thickens slightly about 2-3 minutes. If you added veggies you may want to cook 5 minutes, depending on how crunchy you like them.
5. I then add the rice to the pan and mix it all together. You can also serve the chicken stir fry over the rice. It is up to you.
I know this sounds like it would take a long time. It really doesn’t. It takes 45 minutes from start to finish. It really is simple and delicious!
Faux Chef for Five 