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Chinese Cashew Chicken Stir Fry Recipe


Chinese Cashew Chicken Stir Fry

Made with Gluten-Free Homemade Hoisin Sauce

I combined some recipes to make a kid-friendly, family friendly dinner for us. Most Hoisin sauces contain gluten, so I found one (recipe below) and made it up!

1st Step:

“Velveted Chicken”

  • 1- ½ pound of chicken breast cut into small ¼”to ½” cubes

  • 2 tsp of baking soda

In searching for ideas for this recipe, I learned about “velveted chicken” from a website (www.recipetineats.com). Combine the chicken and the baking soda in a bowl, toss to coat evenly then set aside to marinate for 15 minutes. Rinse chicken thoroughly, then pat with paper towels to remove excess water. I found that this process did make the chicken silky smooth and tender, so I wouldn’t skip it!

A lot of the recipes I searched call for Hoisin Sauce and after looking at quite a few labels, I wasn’t comfortable in finding a really good gluten free one and at that moment I was home and didn’t want to drive around town to explore. So I made it myself! Here’s the recipe I used (there are many out there):

Gluten Free Hoisin Sauce

  • ¼ cup Tamari Soy Sauce or Gluten Free Soy Sauce

  • 2 Tbsp peanut butter

  • 1 Tbsp white miso

  • 1 Tbsp honey

  • 2 tsp rice wine vinegar

  • 1 clove of garlic

  • 1 tsp of chopped ginger

  • 1 tsp sesame oil

Take all of these ingredients and blend together well in a small food processor. Save it for the recipe below or use in whatever recipe you would like.

Now it’s time to cook and assemble the dish. Here are the rest of the ingredients and instructions:

  • 1 Tbsp cornstarch

  • ½ cup of chicken stock or water

  • 2 Tbsp coconut oil or vegetable oil

  • 2 cloves of chopped garlic

  • 1 tsp of chopped ginger

  • ½ chopped white or yellow onion

  • 2 celery stems diced finely (optional)

  • 1 large dice of red pepper (cut into ¼” cubes) or asparagus or any vegetable you really like

  • ½-1 tsp salt depending on your salt preference

  • 1 cup roasted and salted cashews

  • Sliced green onions

  1. After the chicken is “velveted” as above instructed, combine cornstarch, chicken stock and 2 tablespoons of the Hoisin Sauce in a jar and shake up.

  2. Poor ¼ cup of the regular Hoisin Sauce over the chicken and let marinade for 15-30 more minutes.

  3. Heat coconut oil in a large pan, turn the heat to medium high. Add the celery and chopped onion first and let it cook until the onions are translucent. Add the garlic and ginger, cook for another minute but don’t let the garlic burn!

  4. Add the chicken to the pan and cook for about 8-10 minutes or until the chicken is turning white.

  5. Pour the cornstarch/chicken stock/hoisin mixture into the pan, stir and deglaze the pan. Add more water if it’s too thick and burning (up to ½ cup but add gradually). Add your peppers or vegetables. Cook for 4-5 minutes until chicken is thoroughly cooked, the sauce is thickened and vegetables are still crisp. Taste it, add more salt or more of the hoisin sauce if you prefer a stronger tasting sauce. With my kids, I find I need to go minimal here.

  6. Remove from the stove, stir in the cashews and serve with rice. Garnish with green onions. I like to serve with steamed brown rice.

Chicken Stir Fry with Asparagus

#glutenfreeoptions #mealideas #kidfriendly #glutenfreemeal #stirfryidea #healthyfamilyrecipe

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