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| Stir Fried Vegetables |
My husband informed me that it is a new year. I mean-like I didn’t know.
He informed me that the sugar has to go. I mean really –like I didn’t know.
Well it is always hard to let something you love slip away, but I do feel a bit sluggish. It is time to get back on a path of healthier eating.
I’m going to give it the old one two. Let’s see how hard I punch.
Well, at least until Valentine’s Day… I guess salt here I come. Just kidding. Maybe not really.
So last night for dinner I made this royal chicken. It is a good start though I know the healthy crew (whoever they are) will pick it apart.
OK! I know. Rice, salty sauce, nuts. Jeez. But hey! I got my 5 servings of veggies in. A girl has to start somewhere.
I love Asian food-my favorite is Vietnamese. But today it is Thai.
I believe they stole this recipe from the Chinese. Well, they did add fish sauce instead of oyster sauce and cashews instead of peanuts.
And being a girl who isn’t that big on peanuts I prefer the cashews. Just don’t use too many.
This is a quick dish. Lots of fun slicing with the new knife my mom sent.
A Global Chef knife. Expensive but worth it. You will feel like a pro, I promise. So get to work-just don’t cut yourself.
And please add broccoli. I would have but the person in my life who is complaining about sugar hates broccoli.
Next time I’m going to ignore him. In fact I think I’ll give him broccoli instead of rice. That will show him!
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| Royal Thai Chicken with Cashews |
Recipe
Royal Thai Cashew Chicken with Stir Fry Veggies
- Prep Time: 20 Minutes
- Cook Time: 15 Minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 4 Servings 1x
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Asian
Description
This royal chicken, Thai style, is made with cashews and a simple sauce with lots of black pepper. Serve with stir fried veggies and you have a meal fit for royalty.
Ingredients
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Black Pepper freshly ground
2 T canola oil or peanut oil
⅓ c cashews
1 small onion sliced
3 garlic cloves minced
½ to 1 t chili paste
3 green onions cut on the diagonal in 1 inch pieces
4 t fish sauce
1 T dark soy sauce
½ to 1 t brown sugar
1 fresh red chile sliced and seeded
Stir Fried Veggies
1 large onion sliced
1 medium carrot peeled and sliced thinly on the diagonal
2 garlic cloves chopped
1 inch piece of fresh ginger peeled and cut in slices (if you don’t have it you don’t need it)
½ c dried shitake mushrooms reconstituted or substitute fresh or regular mushrooms in which case I would use a cup
1 red pepper seeded and cut into strips
1 stalk of broccoli cut into florets (if you have a broccoli hater add other vegetables of your choice)
3 green onions cut in 1 inch slices
2 T canola or peanut oil
Sauce
3 T chicken stock
2 T fish sauce
2 T light soy sauce
1 T lime juice
1 T honey or brown sugar
2 t cornstarch mixed with 3 T water until smooth
1 t chili paste if you want these spicier
Instructions
Cut the chicken into bite sized pieces and mix with black pepper. (I use about 4 really good grinds of the mill.)
Heat the oil in wok or a wide skillet.
Add the cashews and stir over medium heat until roasted and golden. Do not let them burn. Remove from wok with a slotted spoon.
Add onion and garlic to wok and stir fry for about 3 minutes. Add chicken pieces. Stir fry until chicken is opaque-about 2-3 minutes.
Add green onions, fish sauce, soy sauce and chili paste plus the sugar. Stir about another minute.
Then stir in toasted cashews.
Serve with jasmine rice and the stir fried vegetables below.
Stir Fried Veggies
Before you start cooking have everything ready and sliced and your sauce mixed in a cup. (I make these before I do the chicken. You can reheat in microwave but you can keep them warm in the oven also OR just tent with foil.)
Place wok over medium high heat. Add oil and swirl it around wok. Add onion and cook 1 minute. Add carrot, garlic, ginger and stir fry for another minute. Now add the mushrooms and stir until the carrot begins to soften.
Add red pepper, broccoli and green onions, then pour in the sauce. Stir until vegetables are cooked to your liking but I prefer them crisp.
Add more sour, spicy or sweet if you want it.
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| The chicken.
>Stir Fried Vegetables |
Jason Hoover says
This is a very interesting to cook dish! I love how you combined the cashew chicken to my favorite vegetables. I will try this later.
Abbe says
Thanks for the tips Jason and thanks for stopping by!
Abbe says
I love cashews in anything!Thanks for writing Natalie.
Natalie says
Looks amazing! I love cashew's in stir-fry's!
Abbe says
Yeah, I've had to compensate my whole life! Thanks for writing!
Kimmie Schiffel says
I love Thai cashew anything. This looks delicious!
Abbe says
Thanks Kimmie. I might just get the leftover cashews now! To go with my wine of course! And my husband heartily approved of this dish!
Kitchen Riffs says
Global knives are way cool. If I didn't already have knives I liked, I'd be tempted by them. I really like almost anything with Asian flavors, and this is terrific. And healthy! January always is the month when we eat the healthiest, isn't it? Like you, I have to compensate for the last 6 or so weeks. 😉
Abbe says
PS Give Gaby a huge pat on the back. That is so good!
Abbe says
Actually, they are all about the same. Because you are cooking at a high heat peanut, canola and grape seed can hold a higher temperature without burning. Olive oil could be used but it does not have as high of a "smoke point". The other reason you would use a different kind of oil here than olive is because you want a neutral tasting oil and olive oil has a definite flavor.In this case you want the Asian flavor to come through and you are cooking at a fairly high temp. When I am not cooking at a high temp and I want the flavor of olive oil I use it also. Comprende? But I am not stopping you.:)
Meirav says
We cut sugar too, Gaby lost 20 lbs.
Can olive oil substitute the canola or peanut oil? It is much healthier