Cashew Chicken (87 of 150)

I'm a fan of making Chinese food instead of ordering it out. I haven't found a great Chinese food restaurant here in Lynnwood, so when I have a craving I just make it. 

I'm quickly discovering that there's some special ingredient in Chinese food from a restaurant that I can't quite figure out. Maybe it's the fact you don't have to do the dishes that makes it taste so great. 

This recipe sounded like a winner. And it very well could be. I'm not really sure what it was about it that I didn't like, but there was something. I think maybe it's because it was too sweet. The honey and the hoisin really set this to the sweeter side, where as I prefer a more savory cashew chicken.

I also didn't have green onions. I swear I did, but apparently I did not. So I tossed in some water chestnuts instead. They have a nice crunch to it. 

Cashew Chicken

Recipe from Closet Cooking

Serves 4

• 3 T honey
• 3 T (low sodium) soy sauce
• 2 T rice vinegar
• 1 T hoisin sauce
• 1 tsp chill sauce (such as sambal oelek or sriracha)
• 1/4 c (low sodium) chicken broth (JW note: I used regular old water)
• 1 T cornstarch
• 1 T oil
• 1 pound boneless and skinless chicken, cut into bite sized pieces
• 4 green onions, thinly sliced and divided between white and green
• 1 T garlic, grated
• 1 T ginger, grated
• 1 c cashews, lightly toasted
• 1 T sesame oil
• 1 T toasted sesame seeds

Mix the honey, soy sauce, vinegar, hoisin sauce, chili sauce, broth and cornstarch and set aside.

Heat the oil in a large skillet/wok over medium-high heat, add the chicken and sauté, about 6 minutes.

Add the whites of the onions, garlic and ginger to the pan and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Add the sauce mixture and sauté, until the sauce thickens a bit, about 1-2 minutes.

Mix in the cashews, sesame oil, sesame seeds and the greens of the onions and enjoy!

Option: Add vegetables such as bell pepper, snap peas, broccoli, edamame, etc. In general add them to the pan after the chicken is cooked and sauté, until just tender before moving on to adding the onions, garlic and ginger.