Cashew Chicken Stir Fry

Chinese food ranks up there for me as a favorite. It's not very carb friendly though since most the time I feel obligated to eat it with rice. I'm learning, however, that rice isn't essential if the main dish has flavor.

This dish was good. It wasn't GREAT and didn't earn a 5 star ranking from me. It was flavorful and easy to make, so there's that. The sauce was good, but not great. The best part is I remembered the cashews this time. I forget them so often.

Cashew Chicken Stir Fry
Recipe from Spendwithpennies.com

Photo from SpendwithPennies.com

For the stir fry:
1 T vegetable oil , divided use
2 small zucchini , quartered lengthwise then sliced into 1 inch pieces
1 c of mushrooms , quartered
1 onion coarsely chopped
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts , cut into 1 inch pieces
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 cloves of garlic , minced
1/3 c roasted cashews (unsalted or low sodium)

For the sauce:
1/3 c chicken broth (or water)
1 T soy sauce
1 T hoisin sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp sugar
2 tsp corn starch

Heat 1 teaspoon of the vegetable oil over medium heat. Add the onions and cook for 3-4 minutes or until just softened.

Add the mushrooms and zucchini to the pan and cook for an additional 4-5 minutes or until vegetables are tender and just browned.

Remove the vegetables from the pan, place on a plate and cover to keep warm.

Wipe out the pan with a paper towel and add the remaining 2 teaspoons of oil. Increase the heat to medium high.

Place the chicken in the pan and season with the salt and pepper. Cook for 3-4 minutes on each side or until cooked through and golden brown.

Add the garlic to the pan and cook for 30 seconds.

While the chicken is cooking, prepare the sauce.

In a small bowl, whisk together the chicken broth, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, sesame oil, sugar and cornstarch.

Return the vegetables to the pan with the chicken and pour the sauce over the top. Increase the heat to high and simmer for 1-2 minutes or until sauce has thickened. Taste and add more salt and pepper if desired.

Stir in cashews and serve immediately, over rice if desired.

Calories: 289
Carbohydrates: 14g
Fiber: 2g
Protein: 28g