Cashew Chicken Stir Fry

Cashew Chicken Stir Fry
  

When we lived in Washougal, WA, there was a restaurant called The Chinese Cafe.  Everything I ever had there was wonderful.  One of my favorites, though, was their lunch special of Cashew Chicken.  Fresh chicken, celery, carrots and onions in a light sauce, sprinkled with cashews.  It was delicious!  This is my take on that fantastic Chinese Cafe Restaurant menu item, Cashew Chicken.  I don't prefer onions, so they aren't listed; but they most certainly can be added.  For me, the basic veggies in this one are carrots, celery, mushrooms and summer squash.  Otherwise, it depends on what I have on hand and how "fancy" I feel like getting!  Also, this recipe can be made grain / gluten free.

Cashew Chicken Stir Fry

Serves 4

This recipe requires quite a few bowls, but the end product is worth the extra dishes.

First, mix together the sauce and set aside:

1 cup water (or chicken broth, if it's homemade or organic)

2 tablespoons cornstarch (or potato starch for gluten free, omit if low carb)

3 tablespoons Bragg's Liquid Aminos or soy sauce

1/2 teaspoon roasted sesame seed oil

In a small bowl, place:

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons fresh ginger, minced (optional)

In a medium sized bowl, place:

4 stalks celery, cut up, 1/2" dice

2 carrots, cut up, 1/2" dice

(If the extra veggies aren't going to be used, double the carrots and celery.)

In another medium sized bowl, place these "optional" veggies:

1 - ~6" summer squash (zucchini, yellow crook neck or patty pan), sliced into 1/4" thick slices

1 cup snow peas, cut into 3/4" pieces

4 - 1 1/2" mushrooms, sliced 

In another bowl, place:

4 cups cooked, cut-up chicken*

And finally, place in a small bowl:

1/2 cup cashew pieces, roasted and salted

The reason for all the separate bowls is that the different items cook at different rates.  The ginger and garlic are infused into the oil, then the most dense veggies are cooked, and so on, down to the chicken which is already cooked*.

Pre-heat a wok or large skillet over high heat.  Add approximately: 

3 tablespoons coconut oil (or peanut oil)

Heat it until it is melted and add the ginger and garlic.  Cook them for just about 30 seconds before adding the carrots and celery.  Stir them together then cover the pan and let it steam for about 3 minutes.

*If pre-cooked chicken isn't available, (I happened to have one in my freezer), use 2 chicken breasts, cut up.  Cook the meat after the ginger and garlic, and remove it to add in as stated in the directions. 

Add the remaining veggies, all at once, to the pan.  Stir them, cover, and steam them about 2 minutes.

Add the chicken all-at-once to the pan.  Season it with about 1 teaspoon Adobo seasoning or Everything seasoning (seasoned salt) and add the sauce to the wok, stirring gently, until it is thickened.  This is just enough sauce to coat the meat and veggies.  If a more gravy-like texture is wanted, double the water.

Pour the completed stir-fry into a serving dish and sprinkle it with the cashews.

We like our Cashew Chicken Stir Fry served over a bed of Jasmine rice, (but not if low carb.)  Yum!

Chinese Marinated Steak with Veggies

Chinese Marinated Steak with Veggies

Believe it or not, this was created out of the "frugality" mindset tonight.  I simply was working with what I had.

It all started with a little bit of apple cider vinegar I had in a glass.  That's it, and the rest came from there.  

I had some sliced up steak in the fridge, a half bag of frozen green beans in the freezer, a carrot in the drawer of the fridge, some mushrooms that needed to be used...  Voila!  A new recipe is born!  If green beans aren't available, use whatever is:  broccoli, asparagus or summer squash would work.  No mushrooms?  No problem!  Use bamboo shoots or water chestnuts or a handful of spinach.  Keep it simple!

Chinese Marinated Steak with Veggies
Serves 2 to 3

In a medium sized bowl, combine:
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar ("with the mother" is best)
2 tablespoons coconut sugar
4 packets Truvia-type sweetener
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons Bragg Liquid Aminos or soy sauce

Add:
1/2 pound thinly sliced beef steak

Mix the steak in with the marinade.  Cover and refrigerate it, allowing it to rest from 30 minutes up to all day, stirring occasionally.

While the meat is marinating, slice:

1 carrot, thinly
4 mushrooms 

And rinse 1/2 pound frozen whole green beans.  Set these aside.

In a wok or large frying pan, heat 2 tablespoons peanut oil over medium-high to high heat -- depending on the pan.  As the oil becomes warm, put the steak pieces, without the marinade, into the pan, being wary of splatters. 

Reserve the marinade and add 1 cup water plus 1 tablespoon cornstarch to it. (To make this gluten free, simply use potato starch instead of the cornstarch.) Set it aside.

Cover and cook the steak about 2 minutes, or until it is no longer red.  

Add the carrots, cover them and cook them for about 2 minutes.  

Follow the same procedure for the green beans and then the mushrooms. 

Finally, carefully pour the reserved marinade mixture over the meat and veggies in the wok.  Be sure and bring it to a boil.  It is done when the sauce has a shiny look to it, rather than cloudy.  

We served our Chinese Marinated Steak with Veggies over freshly prepared Jasmine rice*.  It was delicious!

I would have eaten it with chopsticks, but we just moved and I still can't find them!

Enjoy!

*This dish is low carb without the rice.