Chicken Cashew Stir-Fry

For days, I am feeling a little out of myself. It is like I am scattered all over the place, wondering why I am a little bit antsy.

I have been a stay-at-home momma for so many years now. My baby who was born less than a decade ago is now a strong, big boy. I know he still depends on me for a lot of things but I want him to learn to do some things by himself when I am not around. I also think that I have to do something for myself to relieve the crappy feeling that seems to surface frequently.

Anyway, when I feel like this, I resort to reading a cozy mystery book or trying a new recipe. Food has become a solace and no wonder I gained a "few" pounds. 😜 I have been meaning to cook this recipe last week but I was a little preoccupied with the tower of laundry I had to finish.

So earlier today, I had the chicken from the fridge thawed a little bit and cut them into bite-sized pieces. The size was intentional so my picky-eater of a son could have a taste and would be more receptive to the new dish.

When I am in the mood to cook, I usually try to incorporate veggies in the dish. One, it is healthy and second, I am constantly trying for Miggy to be open to eating different kinds of food especially vegetables. In this recipe, you have broccoli, french beans, bell pepper and carrots.

By the way, please practice caution for those allergic to nuts as this recipe requires peanut butter and cashew. Also, one of the ingredients for the sauce is sesame oil, which, can also trigger allergic reactions to some people.

For this recipe, you will need the following:

Chicken Cashew Stir-Fry

Ingredients

•     1-2 tablespoon of olive oil
•     500 grams of chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
•     1 small head of broccoli, broken into florets
•     1 cup of sliced carrots
•     red bell pepper, julienne cut
•     1/3 cup of cut french beans
•     3-4 cloves of garlic, minced
•     chopped onions
•     small ginger, thinly-sliced
•     1/3 cup of cashews, unsalted ones
•     salt and pepper to taste 

Ingredients for the sauce 

• 2-3 tablespoons of soy sauce
• 2 tablespoon of honey
• 1 teaspoon of sesame oil
• 4 tablespoon of peanut butter
• 4 tablespoon of water
• 1/2 teaspoon of ginger powder

Directions

1. Prepare the sauce first. In a small bowl, whisk the soy sauce, honey, sesame oil, peanut butter, ginger powder and water together to make the sauce. Add another 2 tablespoons of water should you feel like having a smoother or lighter consistency. Set aside.

2. In a skillet, lightly toast the cashew nuts in a non-stick frying pan until golden. Transfer to a plate to cool and set aside.

3. Using the same pan (or you can utilize a wok), drizzle olive oil and stir fry chicken pieces over medium-high heat. Add a dash or pinch of salt and pepper and continue sautéing for 2-3 minutes until chicken turned lightly brown.

4. Add the thin ginger slices, sauté a bit, followed by the minced garlic and do the same process for a few seconds, gently stir together with the chicken.

5. Add the french beans, carrots, broccoli, bell pepper and onions and stir fry for about 2 minutes. Keep stir frying until the veggies are tender and cooked through.

6. Stir in the peanut sauce, add the toasted cashew nuts. Gently mix all together to coat everything and quickly remove from the heat.

Serve it over a bowl of steamed rice and there you go! This dish is perfect for dinner with the family. Healthy, quick and easy to prepare.

Apologies for the photo above. I took a snap of the cooked dish in a rush. It does not really look appealing. I may have to re-adjust the water which I added in the peanut sauce to make it "less moist" in appearance but I assure you, you will love how it tasted. 😊 Liking how it turned out, somehow, my mood was uplifted with this first-time-to-cook recipe.

...no one is born a great cook, one learns by doing. --- Julia Child, My Life in France