Cashew Shrimp

I love it that the Chinese restaurants in the US offer special lunch menu. For about $5-$7, you get a complete meal of an entree, rice, and a bowl of soup. Some days when I am too lazy to make lunch, or when I don’t have lunch dates with my friends, I always find myself at a Chinese restaurant, getting my fix of cheap and filling Chinese food.

Recently, I have been going to be a Chinese restaurant close to my house. I have tried many dishes on their special lunch menu, but I am hooked on their cashew shrimp—a simple shrimp stir-fry with cashew nuts (my favorite nut), snow peas, carrots, and canned straw mushrooms. I am probably biased as I love both shrimp and cashew nuts, but I thought their version of cashew shrimp has “wok hei” (breath of wok), with juicy and bouncy shrimp, and the sauce is the epitome of Cantonese cooking—light, savory, and just coats the shrimp and ingredients. I love it.

So today, I decided to attempt it at home. I tried to replicate the same taste, with slightly less oil. The end result was this beautiful, delicious, and pleasing cashew shrimp recipe that goes so well with steamed white rice. This is great for a small family of 2-3 people, served with other dishes.

When it comes to shrimp, I usually get my shrimp at Asian supermarkets, because they are available at an average of $5 – $6 per pound, depending on the size of the shrimp, and whether or not they are shelled. This is cheap as the price can be easily double at regular stores, such as Whole Foods. Shrimp is very tasty and your family can enjoy shrimp more often if you know where to get the cheapest shrimp. Try this cashew shrimp recipe and I am sure everyone would really enjoy it.

(Click Page 2 for the Cashew Shrimp Recipe)

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Spicy Cashew Chicken

I've said it many times before on this blog and I'll say it once more: chicken thighs rock. All over Asia (and Europe, for that matter), this is considered a prime cut that has all sorts of uses, from stir-frying to deep-frying to braising. But for some reason most of America still treats it with suspicion.

Instead we revere chicken breast (not as flavorful IMHO), with is often double or triple the price of chicken thighs in grocery stores and contain only marginally less fat and fewer calories than thighs. But to each his own. The low demand just means that even at my relatively expensive neighborhood butcher shop, chicken thighs are always available and plenty affordable.

Today I had an urge to stir-fry dark meat chicken for lunch and decided to update this spicy cashew chicken recipe from last summer. Enjoy! 

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If you're a regular reader of the blog, you may have already tried to recreate some of your favorite takeout dishes from Chinese restaurants. Kung pao chicken and General Tso's chicken have been two of the most popular recipes on Appetite for China for the past few years. And recently I've added new favorites, such as Orange Beef and Broccoli Stir-fry, Shrimp Lo Mein, and Almond Chicken.

Cashew chicken is, of course, another favorite takeout dish. And once you try making it at home, I guarantee you'll find it better-tasting and even quicker than picking up the phone and ordering takeout. Marinating and cooking the chicken takes just 15 to 20 minutes, faster than delivery. 

This version of cashew chicken is for the spicy food lovers out there. I like using about 2 teaspoons of chili sauce for 1 pound of chicken, but you can always increase the dosage to 3 teaspoons (or more!) if your tongue can handle it. The chicken is marinated in soy sauce and rice wine for flavor and corn starch to lock moisture in, resulting in a tender, juicy chicken. Which is more than you can usually hope for inside the white takeout cartons!

Try pairing this spicy cashew chicken with sides such as Vegetable Fried Rice, Sichuan Cucumber Salad, and Baby Bok Choy with Braised Shiitake Sauce.

View the original article here

Spicy Cashew Chicken

If you’re a regular reader of the blog, you may have already tried to recreate some of your favorite takeout dishes from Chinese restaurants. Kung pao chicken and General Tso’s chicken have been two of the most popular recipes on Appetite for China for the past few years. And recently I’ve added new favorites, such as Orange Beef and Broccoli Stir-fry, Shrimp Lo Mein, and Almond Chicken.

Cashew chicken is, of course, another favorite takeout dish. And once you try making it at home, I guarantee you’ll find it better-tasting and even quicker than picking up the phone and ordering takeout. Marinating and cooking the chicken takes just 15 to 20 minutes, faster than delivery. 

This version of cashew chicken is for the spicy food lovers out there. I like using about 2 teaspoons of chili sauce for 1 pound of chicken, but you can always increase the dosage to 3 teaspoons (or more!) if your tongue can handle it. The chicken is marinated in soy sauce and rice wine for flavor and corn starch to lock moisture in, resulting in a tender, juicy chicken. Which is more than you can usually hope for inside the white takeout cartons!

Try pairing this spicy cashew chicken with sides such as Vegetable Fried Rice, Sichuan Cucumber Salad, and Baby Bok Choy with Braised Shiitake Sauce.

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Spicy Cashew Chicken

Serves 4 as part of a multi-course meal

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into 1-inch cubessauce2 tablespoons soy sauce2 tablespoons Chinese rice wine or dry sherry1 tablespoon cornstarch1 tablespoon oyster sauce1 teaspoon sesame oil2 to 3 teaspoons chili sauce1 tablespoon peanut or vegetable oil2 garlic cloves, minced1 medium  onion, chopped1 red bell pepper, chopped½ cup salted roasted cashews, or substitute raw cashewsIf you’re using raw cashews, toast them in a dry skillet for 1 to 2 minutes, until they become golden on both sides and aromatic. Transfer to a plate to cool.Marinate the chicken: In a medium bowl, stir together 1 tablespoon of the soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of the rice wine, and the cornstarch until the cornstarch is dissolved. Add the chicken and stir to coat. Let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes.Prepare the sauce: In a small bowl, combine the remaining 1 tablespoon of the soy sauce, remaining 1 tablespoon of the rice wine, the oyster sauce, sesame oil, and chili sauce.Heat a wok or large skillet over medium high heat. Add the peanut oil and swirl to coat the bottom. Add the garlic and ginger and coo until just aromatic, about 20 to 30 seconds. Add the marinated chicken and stir-fry until no longer pink on the outside but not yet cooked through, about 2 minutes. Add the onion and bell pepper and cook until the onion starts to become translucent, about 1 to 2 minutes.Pour in the sauce and stir gently to coat the chicken. Allow the sauce to simmer for 1 to 2 minutes to thicken. Stir in the cashews. Transfer to a plate and serve.

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 More Chinese chicken recipes to try:Tagged as: Chicken, Chinese, Recipes

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Nuts+nuts Cashew Nuts Roasted in Lightly Salted (4 Packs)

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Journey to the culinary capitals of Asia with Snapdragon, where every stop brings a new taste discovery. Cashew Cruncies are a healthy, chewy, savory nut snack. Teriyaki Cashew Crunchesare a blend of traditional Japanese teriyaki flavors, smoky, spicy and a little salty.

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