Cashew Chicken
(from kintyre’s recipe box)
This Chinese restaurant staple gets a lot of its sky-high fat content from oil. We lightened it significantly but kept all of its flavor and crunch.
Now POINTS® Value: 8
Level of Difficulty: Moderate
Source: weightwatchers.com (from RecipeThing user salonx)
Prep time: 25 minutes
Cook time: 12 minutes
Serves 4 people
Categories: dinner, nondairy, not tried
Ingredients
- tsp peanut oil
- 2 medium garlic clove(s), minced
- 1 pound uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1/2 tsp table salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1 1/2 cup fat-free, reduced-sodium chicken broth, divided
- 2 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 medium stalk celery, chopped
- 8 oz canned bamboo shoots, drained
- 8 oz canned water chestnuts, sliced, drained
- 1 1/2 Tbsp cornstarch
- 2 cup cooked white rice, kept hot
- 1 3/4 oz dry-roasted cashews, chopped (about 6 Tbsp)
Directions
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Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and cook 1 minute. Season chicken on both sides with salt and pepper and add to skillet. Cook until browned on all sides, stirring frequently, about 4 minutes.
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Add 1 cup of broth, soy sauce, celery, bamboo shoots and water chestnuts to chicken and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes.
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Dissolve cornstarch in remaining 1/2 cup of broth; add to skillet and simmer until sauce thickens, stirring constantly, about 1 minute.
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To serve, divide rice among 4 shallow dishes. Spoon chicken mixture onto rice and sprinkle with cashews. Yields about 1 cup of chicken, 1/2 cup of rice and 1 1/2 tablespoons of cashews per serving.
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For a burst of color, add 2 cups of chopped fresh baby bok choy in place of the bamboo shoots and water chestnuts. The tender greens will cook with the chicken in 5 minutes.
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We renovated Cashew Chicken by:
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Reducing the amount of oil used to sauté the chicken.
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Sprinkling a small amount of cashews on top of the dish instead of throughout so you can use less but still get cashew flavor in almost every bite.
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Using reduced-sodium chicken broth and soy sauce in lieu of their regular varieties.