Sezchuan Chicken

A friend at church, a week ago, asked what she could do with cashews. I smiled and told her I had just the recipe for her!! This is a recipe that my sister-in-law, Dana, makes and it is so easy to make! In fact, it should be criminal to put so little into something and end up with such a 'wow!' when all is said and eaten!

This recipe serves 4-6. I have to double it because everyone is back for more before I have a chance to take a bite!

First, get your rice going. Your favorite kind will do. I have lots of favorites, medium grain rice and jasmine being at the top of my list!

Next, defrost two boneless skinless breasticles.

While those are defrosting, mix up the sauce.

Sauce:

2 tsp cornstarch

1/4 tsp ginger (i don't use fresh - but if you did, I'm sure it'd be just as yummy)

5 TA water

1/4 cup soy sauce

1 TA vinegar (I use white, but rice would probably be yummy too)

2 cloves garlic, minced

Now that the sauce is made, go back to your now defrosted breasticle and cut it into bite size pieces.

Chop a large bell pepper into bite size pieces. ( tonight I used celery - don't very often have bell peppers around since they don't digest well for the Apple Farmer. We also added green onion since the Apple Farmer wouldn't be joining us for dinner this evening.)

Now, its showtime!

Heat up two tablespoons of canola oil. Add 1/2 cup of dry roasted, unsalted peanuts or cashews. Put in 5 deseeded, red hot chile peppers. (If you are making a G rated meal and it must appeal to a general audience instead of adults only, use only 2 or 3 for a mild bite). Stir fry until heated and just barely starting to turn golden. At this point, start pulling peanuts and peppers out of oil with a slotted spoon. Do it quickly before they turn brown!

And Ooop! Mine got a little too brown! You really do have to work quickly with these babies!

In the remaining peanutty-spicey oil, toss in your chicken. Stir fry until just about done and then throw in your bell peppers. Stir fry a few minutes more. Grab that little bowl of sauce you mixed earlier. Give it a quick stir because the cornstarch will have settled a bit down to the bottom. Pour that over top of the chicken mixture and stir. It will become thick and bubbly. Grab those peanuts or cashews and stir into your sauce (don't put those red peppers back in). Serve on rice, which should be ready by now!