Better Than Take-Out

Here's my version of the Chinese take-out classic Cashew Chicken I made for dinner tonight. It was super yummy and since I made it at home versus take-out there was no chance of this happening.


Shelly's Cashew Chicken

7-8 Chicken Breast Tenders, cut into 1" pieces
1 Tablespoon Soy Sauce
1 Yellow Onion, sliced thin
4 Green Onion, cut into 1" sections
10 Mushrooms, sliced
2 Small Zucchini, sliced
1 cup Bean Sprouts
1/4 cup Pea Pods, halved
1/4 cup Soy Sauce
1/4 cup Water
2 teaspoons Cornstarch
1 Tablespoon Rice Wine Vinegar
handful or so of Roasted Salted Cashews
a few twists of Black Pepper
Oil for sauteing

Marinate chicken in a Tablespoon of soy sauce for at least 1 hour. Saute chicken till golden. Set aside. Saute onions and mushrooms till golden. Add zucchini, bean sprouts, pea pods and mix to combine. Steam saute on medium heat with a lid on for 8 minutes or so or till desired tenderness of veggies is achieved. Add chicken back. Mix cornstarch, soy sauce and water together to form a slurry. Make a well in the middle of the pan and pour starch mixture in. Cook till bubbles and stir to combine. Add vinegar and toss in cashews. Season with black pepper.

Leftovers are great warmed up and served in lettuce leaves (wrap style) the next day.

I love to cook Chinese food at home because there's always a lot of chopping of veggies involved and chopping veggies is therapeutic to me. I break out my favorite knife and just get in the zone.

Highlights of the day:

* I've got a two day Asian theme going on. Went to sashimi with Jeremy last night. Always a good time. Sashimi is a great meal for us post-ops. It's excellent source of protein, omega-3 fats, vitamin B12, vitamin B6. Just make sure you go to a place with a really good reputation.

* Right now the smell coming from the kitchen. I baked another batch of Apple Strawberry Crumbs. Mmmmm. Warm apples and cinnamon.

Cooling...


* Loving my new sneakers. SKECHERS are great. You never have to break them in. They feel like old favorites from Day One.

Listening to: "Sunshine" The All American Rejects