Jennifer's BONUS Week Two Recipe: Chinese Chicken with Cashew Nuts

When I was planning this week's menu, I picked my original new recipe (see below) and kept perusing my Best of Chicken cookbook for future ideas. This recipe just screamed "Chad will love this!" that I had to try it right away.


Chinese Chicken with Cashew Nuts (is "cashew nuts" redundant or is that just me? I hear "cashew" and I expect a nut. )

4 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless and sliced into thin strips

3 garlic cloves, crushed

4 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 cup dried egg noodles

3 tablespoons peanut or sunflower oil

1 tablespoons sesame oil

1 cup roasted cashews (See? They don't say cashew nuts here.)

6 scallions (green onions), cut into 2-inch pieces and halved lengthwise. (Do the lengthwise halving first to save some time)

scallion curls and a little chopped red chili, to garnish (optional)


1. Put the chicken strips, garlic, soy sauce and cornstarch in a bowl and mix well. Cover and chill for about 30 minutes.

2. Bring a pan of water to a boil and add the noodles. Turn off the heat and let stand for 5 minutes. Drain well and reserve. (I prepared my noodles according to the package they came in. 5 minutes of sitting in hot water just doesn't seem long enough for egg noodles.)

3. Heat oils in a large frying pan and add the chicken and marinade. Stir-fry for about 3-4 minutes, or until golden brown.

4. Add the cashews and scallions to the pan and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes.

5. Add the drained noodles and stir-fry for another 2 minutes. Serve immediately, garnished with scallion curls and chopped red chili.


Would I make this again? Yes. Chad's first words upon tasting this dish were "Mmm. I like." A little later he said "I love cooked nuts." and I think I will just leave it at that. With the chicken and the cashews, it is a filling dish. I also think I may doctor the marinade next time. The soy sauce flavor did get a bit overwhelming after a while. Over all, it was a good first experience.