Orange Cashew Chicken

I bought cashews for Saylor and have some left over and some frozen chicken breasts in the freezer, so thought I’m make some cashew chicken.  I'll share my simple recipe I made yesterday with you. 

3 chicken breasts

1 tsp. ground ginger

4 teaspoons cornstarch

Kosher salt (leave out if your cashews are salted)

1 cup orange juice (you may substitute chicken broth if you wish)

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

2 teaspoons brown sugar

Vegetable oil

2 garlic cloves

2/3 cup cashews

3 green onions

I use brown rice, but you can use white.

Chop your green onion. Keep the white part and green part separated and set aside.

Cut your chicken into 1 inch pieces.

Toss the chicken with the ginger, and cornstarch.  This is a necessary part to thicken your sauce and put a coating on the chicken. I put it all in a large baggie and toss it to coat.  Season with coarse salt if you are using unsalted cashews.  Skip the salt if you are.  

Whisk together the orange juice, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar and 2 teaspoons cornstarch.  Set it aside.

Over medium heat, heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil. Add the chicken and cook until golden brown and cooked through, about 5 minutes.  

Add the remaining teaspoon of vegetable oil. Add the cashews, garlic, green onion whites and pinch of red pepper flakes (optional). Cook, stirring constantly, until the garlic begins to soften, about 30 seconds. Whisk the sauce again to combine and add to the skillet along with the chicken. Cook until the sauce thickens, about another 30 seconds.  Taste one last time for seasoning to see if you need more salt or red pepper flakes.

Serve over rice and top with the green part of your green onion you set aside.  I prefer brown rice, but it takes longer to cook.  It is better for you and I love the texture of it.  You can use white rice also.

Variation -  Grate some carrots and add it for extra nutrition and color.  Add them when you add the cashews and green onion.

Missing some of the ingredients you can always improvise.  No green onion, then use onion powder.  No garlic, then use garlic powder.  No orange juice, then use tomato juice or chicken broth. I didn't have orange juice but did have Sunny D that I had for Saylor.  I used it.  I prefer dark chicken, but only had chicken breasts.  You can use either one or both.  A recipe is only a guide.  You can play and go off the beaten path. That is how I get my favorite recipes and call them my own. This one is my own because I played with it and didn't follow the 3 recipes I already had and I used what I had in the house.

Go off the beaten path today.  Make it a good one, be happy and may God bless you and yours.