Chicken and cashew stir-fry
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The science of eating well: exotic, healthy, quick and delicious recipes.
Today’s chicken and cashew stir-fry recipeis light, very, very tasty and nutritious. And it’s quick. Preparation andcook-time combined is only 25 minutes. It’s almost fool-proof.
I confess I am a fan of Chinese cooking.However, most of the food you get in restaurants or take-out establishments isloaded with salt and/or sugar. You’re lucky if you escape under 2,600 kJ (650calories) per dish—and you’ve ingested a whole lot of stuff that science saysyou shouldn’t.
You could easily substitute seafood forchicken in this recipe (shrimp, tuna or salmon would work best or a combinationof some or all three)—or, if you’re vegetarian just go with the nuts.
Main Ingredients
- 3 tblsp cornstarch
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- about 600 gms (1.3 lbs) skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cups broccoli florets
- 1 cup red bell peppers, cut into smallish pieces
- 1 cup frozen peas
- ½ tblsp finely minced garlic
- 1 cup natural whole cashews.
- 2 or 3 small green onions (about 1 cup), sliced into thin rounds
Sauce
- 3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 tblsp honey
- ½ tsp stevia mixture sugar substitute
- 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sweet chili sauce
- ¾ teaspoon ground ginger
Directions:
- To a ziplock storage bag, add the cornstarch, pepper, chicken and sugar substitute. Seal and shake to coat chicken evenly.
- In a large skillet, add the oils, chicken, and cook for about 4 to 5 minutes over medium-high heat, flipping and stirring making sure all sides cook evenly. The chicken should be almost cooked through.
- Add the broccoli, bell peppers, peas, garlic, and stir thoroughly. Cook until vegetables are crisp-tender and chicken is cooked through (about 4 minutes); stir frequently.
- Add the soy sauce, honey, rice wine vinegar, chili-garlic sauce, ginger, to a bowl and whisk to combine; set aside.
- Add the cashews to the skillet and stir to combine.
- Add the sauce and the onions. Give it a good stir to mix the ingredients. Simmer over medium-low heat for 1 to 2 minutes. All done.
Yield: 6 servings
Energy: 1400 kJs (300 calories) per serve
Serve with lo-cal noodles.
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