Rock the Casbah Cashew Chicken

Just because Shareef don't like it, doesn't mean we can't rock the Casbah off this cashew chicken!

This recipe is a little time consuming and does require some prep work done the night before but trust me it is well worth the extra time in the kitchen! I like to make this for kung foo movie nights served along side some sake and rice crackers... Enjoy!  

Ingredients:

2 lbs. Chicken Breast ( boneless, skinless, cubed ) 

3/4 Cup Peanut Oil 

3 Tbsp. Chili Powder 

1/2 Cup Tamari  ( If you don't have access to tamari you can substitute soy sauce )

1/2 Cup Honey 

2 cups Cashews ( Raw ) 

2  Yellow Onion ( Medium Size, Chopped ) 

3 cups  mushrooms ( Chopped ) 

1-2 tsp.  Fresh Ginger ( minced ) 

1/4 cup  green onion ( chopped ) 

1 tbsp. Garlic 

1 tsp. Red Pepper Flake

1 tbsp. Sriracha 

Salt & Pepper to taste

marinade:

In a medium bow whisk in the oil, tamari, chili powder, honey, and ginger. once mixed add the chicken.  Let marinate over night. 

Cashews:

Once Chicken is marinaded,  Place cashews in a saucepan. Cover with water and add a tsp. of salt. Bring the water to a boil and simmer until the cashews are soft ( a couple of minutes ) Don't be surprised if the water gets kind of foamy. Drain the water and set aside. 

Chicken:

 Heat a large skillet or wok on medium high heat ( You may need to work in batches depending upon the size of your pan as not to over crowd the chicken ).  Use tongs to remove the chicken pieces from the marinade and place them in the pan. ( Save any extra marinade ) Sautee the chicken pieces until just cooked through. Remove from the pan and set aside. After chicken is cooked, place any extra marinade back in the pan and simmer for several minutes (to kill any bacteria).

 Pour off all but 1 Tbsp of the marinade into a separate bowl and reserve In the same pan. Sautee the onions on medium high to high heat for several minutes. Add mushrooms and continue to Sautee until onions are translucent and mushrooms are cooked. Add some reserved marinade to the pan if necessary. Then Combine chicken, mushrooms, and onions with the cashews. Stir in  green onion right before serving.

I like to serve this in butter lettuce cups with a bit of cous cous in the bottom! Whats your favorite way to eat cashew chicken? Share with us in the comment section!