Cashew Chicken

I bought some chicken thighs a few days ago since they were on sale at the grocery store. I definitely didn't want to grill them so I was looking for recipes where I can just cook them in the skillet. Then I came across this Cashew Chicken recipe by Ree Drummond. I absolutely love her Pioneer Woman blog and almost everything that I've made from her blog and show turned out amazing. So I knew it was a no brainer for me to make this for dinner since I had all the ingredients at home. Seriously, from start to finish, it took me all of maybe 30 minutes to make this dish. Another perk? This is absolutely AMAZING!!! Like chinese takeout amazing. Dr. Sweetpea was also blown away by how good this was and told me to keep this in our regular rotation. Definitely try making this at home yourselves, folks :o)

Cashew Chicken

(Source: Ree Drummond)

1 tablespoon rice vinegar (I used unseasoned rice vinegar)

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 tablespoon oyster sauce

1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce (Don't use regular soy sauce, it will be SUPER salty)

3 tablespoons chopped fresh ginger

6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into small cubes

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 green bell pepper, cut into small cubes

1/4 cup dry sherry (I used mirin)

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 cup whole roasted, unsalted cashews

1/3 cup water chestnuts, chopped

2 scallions, thinly sliced

Chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish

In a bowl, combine the vinegar, brown sugar, oyster sauce, sesame oil, 1/4 cup of the soy sauce and 1 tablespoon of the ginger. Set aside. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and saute until cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes. In the same skillet, stir-fry the garlic, bell peppers and remaining 2 tablespoons ginger, keeping them crisp-tender. Deglaze the skillet with the sherry and scrape up any brown bits. Add the reserved soy mixture and cook until the mixture boils, about 1 minute. Whisk together the cornstarch and remaining 1/4 cup soy in a small bowl, then stir the slurry into the skillet. Add the cashews and water chestnuts. Add 1/4 cup water to thin the sauce. Cook for another minute. Serve garnished with the scallions and cilantro.