Cashew Chicken Stir-Fry

This recipe came from our friend in Potsdam, NY. We call him "the renaissance man" and for good reason. Think of anything. He can do it. Cook? Bake? You bet. Amazing musician? Incredible. Historian? He'll make you feel as though you were there. Biologist? Doctor? Yup. Yup. He is quite amazing. He shared a whole recipe book with us and I use it very often.

For the vegetables you can use whatever you have available, he recommends a combination of onion, carrots, cauliflower, bamboo shoots, bean threads, and bean sprouts. When I made this tonight I used: broccoli, carrots, onions, green beans, endive hearts, mushrooms, celery, snow peas and red pepper. I love stir-fry!!!

Cashew Chicken Stir-Fry

Cut 1 lb. Chicken (it is easier to do if it is partially frozen) Cover with marinade ingredients and set aside. (You can do this the night before or a few hour before you are going to cook and leave in refrigerator in a sealed bag.

Marinade:

1/3 cup soy sauce

1 tsp fresh ginger, grated

2 Tbsp oil

grated rind of an orange

1 clove garlic, minced

¼ tsp Chinese 5 Spice (opt) (I squirt in a little Sriracha Chili Sauce- the kind with the rooster on it- careful! a little goes a long way!)

Chop up vegetables and set aside in piles according to cooking time.

Order for cooking vegetables: (By the way, this is a great resource for when you are cooking any stir-fry!)

• Put in first:

onions

ginger

garlic

• Longest cooking veggies:

Cabbage

Carrots

Broccoli

Cauliflower

• Shorter cooking veggies:

Summer squash/ zucchini

Green beans

Celery

Bean Threads (soak in water for a few minutes first)

• Add to heat through:

Leeche nuts

Bamboo shoots

Mushrooms

Mini-corn

Egg

• Add off the heat:

Snow peas

Bean sprouts

Sesame oil

Nuts

Prepare sauce ingredients and set aside.

Sauce:

½ cup chicken stock (or chicken base in water)

juice of one orange (1/3 cup)

1 Tbsp corn starch

Heat up some oil in a wok or large pan. Cook chicken over the highest heat about 1/3 cup at a time just until it is cooked. (I never do this. I always just do it all at once.) Set aside, covered. Next add veggies in longest cooking first. Cook over highest heat stirring constantly. Push veggies to the side and pour in sauce ingredients. As soon as the sauce comes to a boil, stir it into the veggies that were pushed to the side and add the chicken. Taste to correct seasonings. Stir in any “off the heat” ingredients and serve at once. (This means the cashews! I just chop them up a little and throw them in. Once I forgot the put the cashew in. It wasn't so much Cashew chicken stir fry!)