In the search for good and quick recipes, the best resources haven’t really been from cookbooks, but from various Internet sources. It seems to me that there are a ton of cookbooks out there that get a little too fancy for their own good (lots of extra and somewhat unnecessary ingredients). Sometimes, the simpler you get (Mark Bittman definitely has it right!) is better anyway (And you don’t need to have 100 different things in your cupboard too!)
One of my favorite sources for Chinese food has been hzrt8w at eGullet. The best thing about hzrt8w’s posts are the intricate detail and descriptions. It really makes it easy to duplicate and alter to specific tastes!
Chicken with Cashews was one of those dishes I never really liked all that much. I found it a little bland most of the time and the cashews really didn’t do it for me. But I decided to give it a shot again after taking a look at hzrt8w’s take on it. Spicy and salty, exactly what I think I was looking for.
As is with most of the recipes I find, I usually alter them slightly just for my tastes. Which means more garlic, less oil, less soy sauce, broth instead of water, and maybe a little more chili to kick things up a bit! I think next time I might throw in a couple dried chilis and try to work in some vegetables. But I think as is with many Chinese dishes, this dish was meant to be served with vegetables on the side. I did that with some blanched Yu Choy and Oyster sauce.
Spicy Chicken and Cashews
Serves 4
Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
– 2 – 2.5 lbs Chicken Breast, cubed
– 10 ounces raw (unsalted) cashews
– 2 tsp corn starch mixed with 1/4 cup Chicken Broth
Marinade:
– 2 tsp Corn Starch
– 2 tsp white pepper
– 1/2 tsp Hot sesame oil
– 3 tsp sesame oil
– 2 tsp soy sauce
– 2 tsp ShaoHsing rice wine
Sauce:
– 6 cloves garlic, minced
– 2 tsp Chili Bean Sauce
– 2 tsp Brown Bean Sauce
– 6 tsp Hoisin sauce
– 2 tsp White vinegar
– 1/4 cup Chicken Broth
Method:
1. Mix marinade and chicken together, set aside for 30 minutes to an hour.
2. Add the cashews into a wok/pan over medium heat for a few minutes to roast slightly. Remove and set aside.
3. Add 1 tbsp oil to the wok, add chicken and cook over high heat until just underdone, there should be no pink visible. Remove and set aside.
4. Add 1 tbsp oil to the hot wok and then add the sauce. Give it a quick stir and let sit for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add in the corn starch mix and stir again.
5. Add the chicken and cashews back in, bring to a quick boil to finish cooking the chicken and then serve over hot rice with a side vegetable.
