Chinese Cashew Chicken

Back home Cashew Chicken is one of my favorite Chinese take-out dishes, but it is not available here in Grenada. Stir fry's are usually quick-cooking meals; perfect for a busy day. I had a container of cashews sitting around in the kitchen, so I decided to try my own version of the dish. It turned out great and I'll definitely be making it more often!

Ingredients:
     1 pound boneless chicken breast, washed and cubed
     4 large carrots, diced
     5 celery sticks, diced
     1/2 cup of cashew nuts
     3 cloves of garlic, finely minced
     1 teaspoon of grated fresh ginger
     1/2 cup of reduced-sodium soy sauce
     2 tablespoons of sugar
     1/4 plus 1/8 cup of water
     1 tablespoon corn starch
     3 tablespoons of vegetable oil
     1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes, optional

For the sauce: Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add half of the garlic and ginger, and fry for a few seconds, until aromatic, being careful not to burn the garlic. Next, add the red pepper flakes (optional) and soon after, the soy sauce, 1/4 cup water, and sugar. Bring to a simmer and stir to dissolve the sugar. Keep the sauce on medium heat for about 2 minutes, until reduced slightly, and then turn off the heat. In a small bowl, mix together the 1/8 cup of water and cornstarch, set aside.

In a wok or large pan, heat 2 tablespoons of oil and add the remaining halves of the garlic and ginger. Fry until aromatic, and then add the celery and carrot pieces. Fry over high heat for about a minute (I like my veggies slightly crunchy, so I don't cook them very long). Empty the celery and carrots into a bowl and put the wok back onto the heat. Add the chicken and fry over medium-high heat until cooked and all of the water that had been released from the chicken is gone. Add the sauce that you made into the chicken and cook on high for a few seconds. Add the cornstarch mixture, and the sauce should begin to thicken. Quickly add the cashews and the cooked celery and carrots. Stir fry for 1-2 minutes, and you're done!

Diced celery and carrots

Cooked chicken

After the sauce is added