Cashew Chicken

Oh my it has been a long time since my last post! Things in Arlington have been pretty busy lately. There always seems to be something to do in the summertime. With the sweltering heat, turning on the burners and the stove-top were not high on my priority list. Oh well, a girl’s got to eat! To keep the heat in the kitchen down I decided to make a quick meal and not fire up the oven. I love Chinese food for dinner, especially because it is so easy to toss in some veggies and make a tasty, healthy dinner in a snap. So I decided to try my luck with one of my childhood favorites, cashew chicken.

Cashew chicken is pretty easy and I love the taste and texture of the nuts in the dish. In this version I used red peppers and broccoli because I like the red and green colors (and it was all that was in my fridge after a week of work travel and a 4th of July party that cleaned me out). You can substitute any veggies you like into this dish. I recently read a recipe that added edamame for a punch of protein and fiber and another that used water chestnuts for some crunch. Feel free to experiment and make this dish your own!

Cashew Chicken Recipe

Ingredients

yields 4 servings

1 cup rice(yields 2 cups cooked), prepared according to directions on the package
2 medium chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
3 T. cornstarch
2 T. canola oil
1 T. sesame oil (substitute canola oil if you don’t have sesame)
2 c. broccoli florets
1 medium red bell pepper, sliced into strips
1 small onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic
2 T. rice vinegar
1/2 c. honey
1/4 c. soy sauce
2 t. dijon mustard
2 t. garlic chili paste (substitute 1/2 t. red pepper flake + 1/2 t. crushed garlic if you don’t have garlic chili paste)
1 cup dry roasted cashews

Directions

1) Prepare rice according to instructions on the package and set aside.

2) Toss the chicken pieces in a bowl with the cornstarch and a pinch of salt and pepper. Be sure the chicken is well coated.

3) Heat the canola and sesame oil over medium high heat in a large skillet. When the oil becomes hot and shiny toss in the chicken, cornstarch mixture and saute for 4-5 minutes or until there is no visible pink on the chicken and the outsides are lightly browned.

4) Toss in the bell peppers, onion, garlic, and broccoli. Continue to saute for an additional 4 minutes or until the veggies begin to soften. Be careful not to over cook them, no one likes mushy vegetables.

5) While the veggies cook combine the rice vinegar, honey, soy sauce, mustard, and chili paste in a small bowl and whisk together.

6) Pour the mixture over the chicken and veggies and mix well to coat. Allow the mixture to cook for 1-2 minutes until the sauce reduces a bit. Toss in the cashews and saute an additional minute. Serve along side the rice.Looking for some other quick and easy chicken dishes? Check out some of my favorite chicken recipes.

Thai Basil Chicken

Honey Peanut Chicken

Mango Chicken

Comments

Jen @ Savory Simple says

July 8, 2012 at 8:48 pm

Pinned! I can’t wait to make this! Things have been pretty brutal in MD as well :}

Marie@Not Enough Cinnamon.com says

July 8, 2012 at 9:20 pm

It looks like the perfect week-nigh dish! I love asian inspired recipes 🙂

Ashley @ Wishes & Dishes says

July 9, 2012 at 3:32 am

Looks delish!!!

Anonymous says

July 31, 2012 at 12:18 am

Although this looks really good, it is definitely not like the original Cashew Chicken, which was a product of an Asian restaurant owner back in 1955…in Springfield, Missouri.
For anyone interested in the history (not the recipe) of the original Cashew Chicken, see:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/11/dining/11cashew.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all

Although, i will say that the recipe on your page looks like a healthier option! 😉

- Cooking By Moonlight says
  
  August 7, 2012 at 4:46 pm
  
  Hmmm interesting story… I wasn’t really trying to make the original version… just something tasty that was quick and healthy for dinner that didn’t use too many specialty ingredients! 🙂 Thanks for the history though.
  
- Anonymous says
  
  October 22, 2012 at 5:09 pm
  
  When I saw the name, I immediately thought of our local “Cashew Chicken” which is different and like the other Anonymous pointed out, was first made in Springfield, MO. It is served in all the Chinese Restaurants in the area, but one such place called Bamboo Gardens in Carthage, MO is well know for theirs. People come from all around to eat there. This version on here with the vegetables sounds very good though – will have to try it. Thanks for printing…
  
Anonymous says

August 17, 2012 at 6:04 pm

We made this last night and it was delicious!! 🙂 Thanks for the great recipe. We think we might add another red pepper next time.

- Cooking By Moonlight says
  
  August 28, 2012 at 5:06 pm
  
  Hey that’s great! I’m so glad you liked it! 🙂 Nothing makes my day more than hearing that someone made my food for dinner! Definitely add in whatever veggies you like best… I like waterchestnuts, mushrooms, or snap peas in there too!
  
Anonymous says

January 5, 2014 at 5:12 am

Do you have a “printer friendly button”?