Cashew Chicken is one of my favorite comfort foods when the weather is gloomy and I need something to hug me on the inside.

It’s been raining for the last 4 days, and today is nothing different because it’s mixed with ice.

As much as I love rain, sunshine puts us all in a better mood.

Otherwise, I usually lay in bed, wrap myself in the blanket and watch TV or read books.

Click here for more of my delicious recipes with chicken.

On days like this, I love to cook something to warm me up. Something that I can wrap my hands around the bowl and just enjoy the aroma of a homecooked meal.

Chinese takeout, quick Ramen noodle soup or pizza order would be a good idea on days like this too.

However, nothing, absolutely nothing beats homemade stir fry.

That warm and pleasant aroma wraps your whole house too.

What better way to comfort your soul and your stomach than a nice bowl of piping hot steamed rice with vegetables and chicken that is literally melting in your mouth.

I raise both of my hands and say there is nothing better!

Of course, you will find via the internet many recipes similar to mine.

Well, this is my version of very simple, delicious and comforting Cashew Chicken served with Rice and Stir Fry Veggies for rainy days like today!

Do not let a long ingredient list scare you because most ingredients are repeating.

I just separated and organized them for your better viewing if you decide to make my version.

Recipes you may like:

ASIAN STYLE CHICKEN AND PINEAPPLE LETTUCE WRAPS

CHICKEN STIR FRY WITH RICE NOODLES

ASIAN BEEF SKEWERS

GENERAL TSOS TOFU

Yield: Serves 4

Cashew Chicken

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Tasty, easy and quick dinner idea.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Additional Time 20 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 Chicken Breast skinned and cut into
• cubes
• ½ Cup Raw Cashews 4oz/113g
• 20 min. Marinade for Chicken:
• 3 Garlic Cloves minced
• 1 Tbs. Oyster Sauce
• 1 Tbs. Soy Sauce light
• 1 Tbs. Rice Vinegar or Rice Wine
• 4 Scallions roughly chopped
• ½ tsp. Red Hot Chili Flakes
• 3 drops of Sesame Oil
• 1 Tbs. All-purpose Flour or cornstarch

Stir Fry:

• 1 Tbs. Oil for Frying the best oils for frying-peanut oil, sunflower, soybean, canola oil
• 2 Red Bell Peppers (or any other color
• that you have or desire)
• ½ Cup Green Beans frozen
• 4 Mushrooms sliced
• ½ Cup Broccoli florets frozen
• ½ Onion sliced and chopped
• 3 Inch Fresh Ginger minced
• 2 Garlic cloves minced
• ½ tsp. Sesame Oil
• ½ tsp. Ground Black Pepper
• ½ tsp. Red Hot Chili Pepper Flakes

Sauce:

• 1-2 Tbs. Oyster Sauce
• 1 Tbs. Soy sauce light/less sodium, OR to taste
• 1 Tbs. Rice Vinegar
• 5 1/2 Tbs. 1/3 cup Chicken Broth (reduced-sodium or sodium-free)
• ¼ tbsp. The sugar you can add up to ½ tbsp.
• 4 drops of Sesame Oil

Garnish:

• Chopped Scallions green part

Instructions

Marinating chicken:

1. You will need to take off chicken skin and cut the meat into cubes. (Leave the bones for homemade chicken stock). Once you cut it into cubes, add all the ingredients except the flour or cornstarch.
2. Massage the chicken and let all the pieces get coated, last but not least toss flour and pat it all over the chicken. Cover and let it marinate for the next 20 minutes; Mix ingredients in the separate bowl for the sauce.

Stir Fry:

1. I like to add the first chicken to cook before adding vegetables to the wok or frying pan.
2. So after chicken marinated, I add the oil for frying in the wok, preheat it well and add chicken cubes/ or strips. Let it cook for 2-3 minutes, turning pieces a few times. Add vegetables to stir fry and all the seasoning, but try to put garlic and sesame oil last minutes of stir-frying.
3. Add cashews, stir and pour over the sauce. Turn off the heat and stir on a hot stove for 10-20 seconds, so the sauce can coat chicken and vegetables.

Sauce:

1. For the sauce, you just need to mix everything together and once the chicken and vegetables are almost done, add sauce and stir
2. Add a little bit of the time and taste, if it’s too salty of you then you might add a bit more water-read the notes for more… Serve it with Steamed Rice and chopped scallions.

Notes

How to make steamed rice:

Put the preferably short-grain rice in the pot and wash it with cold water 2-3 times or until it’s no longer milky white color (with this you are cleaning rice of its starch) Pour water into the pot and add 2 pinches of salt. I put 1 cupful of rice in 2 cups of cold water.

Boil the water until bubbly, then turn the heat to low and simmer the rice for 10 minutes on low heat with the lid on. After 10 minutes, turn the heat completely off and keep the lid on for about 5 minutes. It will steam up to perfection and just fluff the rice with the fork.

• THIS ALSO DEPENDS on what RICE you are using! If you do not have Soy sauce, light or Reduced sodium Chicken stock then I would suggest mixing water with chicken stock. Oyster sauce is salty as well as Soy sauce so you gotta taste it and see what is the right for your taste buds. You can also reduce 1/2 Tbs. Soy sauce and 1/2 Tbs. Oyster sauce in the marinade.

• That will reduce sodium too. You can add any vegetable combo that you have or like! Substitute Chicken with Tofu.

Did you make this recipe?

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The life of a real foodie, it can be good or really bad -you gain weight, then you lose, but we comfort ourselves with food, at least I am.

I try to skip eating unhealthy snacks and go for the apple, but that’s not always a case… A girl needs her chocolate more than you can imagine! 

I go through magazines, blogs, and cookbooks every day to find inspiration, and once you see the picture something magical happens…

The idea for your next meal, something that you haven’t tried before, or perhaps something to comfort you hit your head. 

When I saw a similar recipe to this one it did have spinach and chicken, but I wouldn’t be me if I don’t change it, so little by little I started thinking about the combination.

I had leftover grilled chicken breast in my fridge, and a full bag of organic spinach; soup in that old magazine just had a makeover in my head. Popped my headphone on, cranked the music up and just relaxed cooking.

I love barley so I add in lots of my soups, it also gave an amazing taste and texture to this soup. I made it with Kale last weekend too, and it was very good. 

A full pot of this soup was gone so fast, and I was surprised that my oldest two kids were asking for one more bowl.

It was really good and hearty, not to mention healthy too. If you don’t know what to cook for perhaps colder nights, this is something that the whole family can enjoy with some crunchy bread on the side or Soda bread.

I love bread in general with any hearty soups. Check out my recipes for the most popular on my blog: Irish Soda Bread, No Knead Bread, Australian Damper Bread, Whole Wheat Irish Soda Bread,

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Spinach, Beans and Barley Soup

Course Soup

Cuisine American

Keyword soup, chicken,

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Servings 4 SERVINGS

Author Sandra | Sandra’s Easy Cooking

Ingredients

• 2 Tsp.  Olive oil
• 1/2 Onion chopped
• 1/2 cup Carrots chopped/sliced
• 1 about 8 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut in cubes (or use grilled chicken breast)
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth + 1 Cup of Water
• 1/2 Cup Barley
• 6- ounce baby spinach Kale would work too
• 1 can Organic Great Northern beans or cannelloni beans rinsed
• Freshly ground black pepper and salt to taste
• 1 Bouillon Cube

Instructions

1. Heat 2 teaspoons of oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.
2. Add minced onion, chopped carrots and chicken; two options: cook raw, cut into small bits (cubes) chicken, turning and stirring frequently, until the chicken begins to brown, about 5 minutes / Or use leftover grilled chicken, cut into cubes and just drop in the pot with the minced onion and saute until onion is softer.
3. Add garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute more. Stir in broth and water and bring to a boil over high heat, then add Barley.
4. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally. Let It cook for 15 minutes or until the Barley is tender. (Covered with a fitted lid)
5. Lastly, add spinach and beans to the pot and bring to a gentle boil. Cook for 5-7 more minutes to blend the flavors. (If you are using Kale let it cook up to 10-12 minutes)

Recipe Notes

This soup could be done with raw Chicken or already precooked one, grilled or roasted. It does take just a bit longer using raw. For I grilled did give nice aromatic flavor, but if you are not a fan of that,  you can definitely try your way, and give your special twist. Instead of Spinach, you can use chopped kale Or any other greens, even green beans would work perfectly.