Ready for a delicious light dinner? Try one of my favorites, Cashew Chicken with Orange Sauce. Add a simple salad, and you have a meal fit for company, as well as your family.
This recipe requires some “mise en place” skills of chopping and measuring before the cooking begins. The entire preparation time may be close to one hour, but it is worth the time.
FIRST, READ THE RECIPE THOROUGHLY, THEN GATHER AND PREPARE THE INGREDIENTS BEFORE BEGINNING THE COOKING PROCESS.
Ingredients
- 1 cup of chicken broth (Homemade Stock Preferred)
- 3 ½-4 tablespoons canola, coconut, vegetable, or other high-temperature cooking oil
- ½ cup white rice (Basmati preferred)
- 4 scallions, thinly sliced at an angle
- 1 pound of boneless chicken breast
- 1 small broccoli floret
- 1 red pepper chopped in bite-size chunks
- 2 to 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1/3 cup orange marmalade
- 1 small orange, zested and thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup roasted unsalted cashews chopped
Directions
- In a saucepot, heat ¾ cup of the stock and 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil. Bring to a boil and stir in the rice. Lower the heat and bring to a bubble, cover, and simmer until the rice is tender (about 18 minutes). Fluff with a fork and add the scallions. Remove the pot from the heat, cover.
- Meanwhile, thinly slice the chicken into bite-size pieces.
- Trim the broccoli and cut it into 2-inch pieces or florets. Cut the pepper into bite-size pieces. Bring 2 inches of water to a boil in a shallow pot or deep skillet over medium heat. Salt the water and cook the florets for 3 minutes, adding the peppers for the last 2 minutes. Cook these vegetables until tender-crisp. Drain.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat while the vegetables cook. (Using coconut oil for this step is particularly flavorful). Add 1½ tablespoons of the oil. When it begins to smoke or ripple, add the chicken and brown for 5 to 6 minutes, turning once, then transfer to a plate. (The chicken will not be totally cooked at this point.) Add the remaining one tablespoon of oil to the pan and stir fry the garlic for 1 minute.
- Reduce the heat in the pan to medium heat and add the soy sauce, marmalade, and the remaining chicken broth. Slide the chicken into the pan. Let flavors meld together for a couple of minutes until the chicken is completely cooked through.
- Pour the chicken mixture over the rice and top with cashews, orange zest, and orange slices.
I hope you enjoy my recipe for Cashew Chicken with Orange Sauce!
Recipe serves 2-3 people.
If you are interested in a delicious dessert, try Paula Lambert’s amazing Lemon Goat Cheese Tart.
[optin-monster slug=”tbhhurcqgsuq6f7q3mfp”]
Read Next:
Craving Autumn Flavors? Try These Healthier Fall Treats
Easy DIY Halloween Party Ideas
