Chicken and Cashews

At our house, we almost always have chicken defrosting in the fridge. Work has been extremely hectic this year and I got home late last night so I whipped out this recipe because it's super easy and quick to make. Plus, I got the "I don't eat greens" hubby to eat a good chunk of the bell peppers. Yay for some veggies in his diet!!

Chicken and Cashew Stir Fry
Recipe adapted from Epicurious

Ingredients:

1 bunch scallions, separating white and green parts

1 pound skinless boneless chicken thighs (I used chicken breasts instead)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

3 tbs vegetable oil

1 red bell pepper, chopped

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 1/2 tbs finely chopped peeled fresh ginger (I used less because ginger can be overwhelming, but if you like the extra kick feel free to add even more!)

1/4 tsp dried hot red-pepper flakes

3/4 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth

1 1/2 tbs soy sauce

1 1/2 tsp cornstarch

1 tsp sugar

1/2 cup salted roasted whole cashews

Gathered and portioned out everything? Great! Let's cook!

 

1. Cut the chicken breasts into 3/4-inch chunks and toss with salt and pepper.

 

2. Heat oil in skillet over high heat. Add chicken and cook until just cooked through, about 4 to 5 minutes. Don't overcook it or it'll be dry and rubbery. Ew! Transfer to a plate with a slotted spoon (mine didn't produce excess liquid so I just dished it all over into a bowl via tilting my skillet and shoveling the chicken out with my spatula).  

 

3. Add the bell pepper, garlic, ginger, red-pepper flakes, and scallion whites (some of the scallion greens got in there. Oops. Oh well!) to the skillet and stir-fry until peppers are tender, about 5 minutes.

4. Stir together chicken broth, soy sauce, cornstarch, and sugar and add to the vegetables.

 

5. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 1 to 2 minutes.

Like this! I'm talented, what can I say!

6. Stir in cashews, scallion greens, and chicken along with any juices accumulated on plate. I didn't have any cashews and wasn't in the mood to go to the store and pick some up just for this recipe so I made cashew-less chicken stir fry. Then plate and consume!

As always, I had this with jasmine rice and braised baby bok choy. The flavor turned out alright, but it could definitely use some additions, but the simplicity of this recipe won it over. Next time, I think I'll marinate/season the chicken with some soy sauce along with the salt and pepper and cook it with garlic. Who doesn't love extra garlic right? We sure do! The hubby and I love onions and mushrooms so I'll definitely add that next time. And maybe some green bell peppers too. Plus, isn't stir fry all about tossing together whatever ingredients you have/want any way?  Definitely!

What's your favorite stir fry? And suggestions on what changes you would make to this recipe?