Chicken & Cashews

Chicken & Cashews
Borrowed from Cooking Light May 2009

So tonight was my first voyage into really caring about following directions and then having to photograph the meal before I ate it.....a whole other added stress.


So here is my 1st meal-

Ingredients
3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce, divided
2 tablespoons dry sherry
4 teaspoons cornstarch, divided
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 tablespoon honey
2 teaspoons sesame oil, divided
3/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 tablespoon grated peeled fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup chopped green onions (about 3 green onions)
1/4 cup chopped unsalted dry-roasted cashews

Preparation
1. Combine 1 tablespoon soy sauce, sherry, 2 teaspoons cornstarch, and chicken in a large bowl; toss well to coat. Combine remaining 2 tablespoons soy sauce, remaining 2 teaspoons cornstarch, broth, oyster sauce, and honey in a small bowl.
2. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken mixture to pan; sauté 3 minutes. Remove from pan. Heat remaining 1 teaspoon oil in pan. Add onion, celery, and bell pepper to pan; sauté 2 minutes. Add ginger and garlic; sauté 1 minute. Return chicken mixture to pan; sauté 1 minute. Stir in broth mixture. Bring to a boil; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Sprinkle with green onions and cashews.
Rice pilaf: Heat 1 tablespoon canola oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add 1/2 cup chopped onion and 2 teaspoons grated peeled fresh ginger to pan; sauté 2 minutes. Stir in 1 cup water, 1/2 cup long-grain rice, and 1/4 teaspoon salt; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 12 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat; stir in 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro.


THE VERDICT:

I wasn't blown away. I ripped it from my magazine so I never read any of the reviews until just now when I cut and pasted the recipe here. I felt the oyster sauce was kind of over powering and I would 1/2 it next time or just sub it with hoision sauce. I also used Success Boil in the Bag brown rice, which I really like and it saves time. I felt like for the amount of cutting and the many steps involved it isn't something I would rush to make again, but if you are looking for good authentic Chinese food made healthier then this would be one of the dishes I would suggest. I do suggest doing all the chopping before you start cooking because the steps move very quickly.

Bottom line---eh, I have a killer kung po chicken that I think is easier and tastes better.

BUT--someone in the house gave his toddler seal of approval--GO Figure?




Tomorrow is Jackson's 2nd Birthday and I can't believe my baby boy is 2!
Happy Birthday!!!!