Cashew Chicken

I've always had an interest in cooking, and since I figure I would be cooking more for myself and others in the coming future I might as well learn how to now. I decided to start with a simple Chinese cookbook because it has a variety of different recipes and different techniques. After reading about the different foods found in a Chinese kitchen, and the different techniques used in various Chinese dishes, my first job was to cook dinner for the family.

For my first meal I went with something simple with ingredients we already had in the kitchen. I decided I would cook Cashew Chicken for my parents and I. The book describes cashew chicken as "another takeout favorite that requires less time to cook than to wait for delivery." (69) The recipe calls for the chicken to be marinated in soy sauce, rice wine, and cornstarch. While the chicken was marinating I chopped the onions and green pepper, and then made the sauce which consisted of soy sauce, rice wine, oyster sauce, sesame oil, and chili sauce

After the chicken has marinated, the sauce has been made, and the onion and green pepper has been chopped, it's finally time to stir-fry and put them all together. First, you put in the chicken until the outside is no longer pink but the insides are still uncooked. Once the chicken has reached this point it's time to add in the onion and pepper. After you put the onion and pepper in, stir-fry some more until the onion becomes clear. The final step is to add in the sauce and let it simmer and thicken for about two minutes. Then you can add cashews to your liking, and then your meal is ready.

The chicken can be served over plain white rice, and for this meal I decided I would. My parents both said the chicken was very good, and I was also very satisfied with the meal in general and I look forward to cooking different meals.

Citation:

Kuan, Diana. The Chinese Takeout Cookbook. 2012.