There are moments in a hurried mom’s life when you come rushing in the door, after 5PM, kids fussing and they need you. At the same time, you need to feed your family. You have nothing ready to eat and within 30 minutes you need to be eating or the kids will no longer be fussing. They will be melting.
I had that moment last week complete with the rushing, fussing and melting.
I want my family to sit down for a solid meal together and living 100 miles from any chain restaurant, it’s either I cook at home, we pick up a pizza in town…or on my favorite nights, Nana invites us over for supper.
In this particular hurried mom flurry of a moment, I dumped, stirred and pulled off a revised Cashew Chicken Stir Fry (the recipe I usually follow comes from Williams Sonoma Asian cookbook and I highly recommend it) in about 20 minutes last week while the girls helped me. By 6PM, our family of five was eating and everyone was happy.
I love stir fry because it’s pretty much a one-pan meal. I made Minute rice in the microwave in a bowl. Usually I have brown rice on hand or mix it with white rice. Knowing several California rice farmers has grown my understanding of where rice comes from and I have a fondness for quickly boiling up some rice because of it.
In my hurried meal making I took one picture.
1 1/2 lbs. cut-up boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 cup of cashews
2 cans (I think 15 oz. cans) of pineapple chunks, drained
1/4 cup of lite soy sauce
1 TBSP sherry cooking wine or rice vinegar
1 tsp. Asian sesame oil
1/4 cup honey
1 TBSP. peanut or canola oil
1 tsp. ginger…fresh grated if you have it or I used ground ginger
1 tsp. garlic powder
3 green onions finely chopped
2 TBSP Corn starch mixed in 1/4 cup very cold water
The recipe calls to marinate the meat for 15 minutes but I skipped that but you should do that…and I also have made this with leftover chicken, frozen chicken bites (oven roasted from the Schwan’s guy/gal), etc. Most any white chicken meat works.
In the wok pan, on high heat, add the canola or peanut oil, add chicken, adding green onions after about 3-4 minutes. Then I stirred up soy sauce, sesame oil, honey and ginger together in a separate bowl. Turn down heat to medium. I poured in that mixture over the chicken and onions. Simmering and stirring. I added the pineapple. I added two cans of pineapple but you can just do one. I wanted my kids to eat extra. Simmered and stirred. Turn down heat to low/ medium low. I added the cashews. Then stir all together. Lastly, I add the corn starch which should be dissolved in the cold water. It thickens up the sauce quickly and just when it is heated up all together again, it’s ready to serve over the rice. My rice takes 12 minutes in the microwave covered for 6 servings, just follow the directions on the box.
Literally with a toddler on my hip and a 3 year old by my side from start to finish this meal wasn’t more than 30 minutes total in time from when we walked in the door and cooking and prep was 20 minutes.
It was easy, yummy, healthy, affordable and fed my family on the prairie. And believe me, it will again and again. Once I have an easy meal down, I repeat.
What’s your favorite stir fry dish to prepare?
Our teenager son makes Beef and Broccoli for us. I’ll have him take pictures and share that on another Hunk of Meat Monday!
Our teenager son makes Beef and Broccoli for us. I’ll have him take pictures and share that on another Hunk of Meat Monday!
Share any favorite meaty recipe today on your blog and link up with Beyer Beware today for…
I love everything with cashews in it!!!
Thanks for the recipe!
Leontien
That sounds so delicious!
Also, that ‘Hunk of Meat’ button is totally cracking me up. Too funny!
Sounds super yummy, cant wait to try it. Thanks!
That sounds great, i might just have to try that for dinner tonight. I don’t have cashews though, maybe almonds will work.
Nice hunky meat button you have there!
This dish looks delicious. I would like to invite you to link up at Full Plate Thursday. Thank you for sharing and have a great week!
Oh yum!!! NOW I’m hungry for stir-fry!!
I like this…the pineapple, chicken and cashews are everything I like!
Love this. Cashew chicken is my favorite chinese dish. Gotta wait till hubby is gone to make. Unless I can convince him this isn’t oriental food! Thanks for linking up to Hunk of Meat Monday!
yum, this sounds delish!!!