Originally from: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/pwcooks/~3/wJJz5IJ1VGQ/
This is something cool to do with tasty food and we wanted to repost it for you! Enjoy!
We have a post all about the merits of comfort food over on PW Life & Style today, and there’s no other category I can put Cashew Chicken than that.
Well, I guess there are a few other categories I could put it in.
Chicken Dinners
Quick Dinners
16-Minute Meals
Sensational Stir-Fries
Simple Suppers
Darn-Tootin’ Yummy Recipes
The list goes on.
But Cashew Chicken is definitely, for me, a lifelong comfort food. I used to go to China Garden in my hometown, whether with my group of friends or my boyfriend (at the time) Kevin…and this is what I always ordered. Whenever I eat it, I think of Jeep Wagoneers, Giorgio perfume, Stiff Stuff hairspray, toe shoes, Pontiac Fieros, and size 6 Guess jeans.
(Not that I’m mired in nostalgia or anything.)
Here’s how I make Cashew Chicken! I could eat it weekly for the rest of my life and never get tired of it.
First make the yummy sauce, which will eventually cook in the pan with all the ingredients. Mix together soy sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar, oyster sauce, and sesame oil. A grand, sweet, sour combo! Stir it to combine and set it aside for a sec.
Heat a heavy skillet over high heat and add some vegetable oil. Throw in cut up boneless chicken thighs (the best cut of chicken there is!) and leave them alone, undisturbed, for at least a couple of minutes. This’ll give ’em a chance to start browning.
When the chicken has started to turn golden, start stirring it around so it’ll brown all over.
Add some minced fresh garlic and ginger, because flavor is your life. (Pssst. It’s my life, too.)
Next, chuck in some bell peppers. I used green, but a mix of green, red, or yellow would be tremendous!
Stir in the bell pepper and let it cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
While the pan is still hot, pour in some sherry. You can also use white wine or just broth, but I really think the flavor of sherry is special in stir fries like this. And it will remind you of the seventies, which is an added bonus!
At least it reminds me of the seventies.
But then again, everything reminds me of the seventies.
Stir in the sherry, scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen up any bits.
Turn the heat to medium-low and pour in the sauce mixture…
Then mix the cornstarch with 1/2 cup water to make a slurry…and pour that in, too. Stir the sauce for 1 to 2 minutes to thicken the whole shebang. It’ll happen quickly!
Add cashews and chopped up water chestnuts at this stage.
Important Note: Cashews must be unsalted or you’ll wind up with a salty calamity!
Mmmm. Stir this all in so everything is coated and wonderful. Add a splash of water if the sauce seems overly thick.
A sprinkling of green onions…
And a bed of cooked rice is all it needs!
Here’s the handy dandy printable.
If you love what you’ve seen in this blog then check out other posts on our blog.
And if you’re interested… Purple Onion Cuisine caters to Markham, Aurora, Newmarket, Stouffville, Richmond Hill, King City, Pickering, Ajax, Oshawa, Mississauga, Oakville, Burlington and Toronto. Check out where else we cater in Ontario.