Chicken, Cashew, and Red Pepper Stir-Fry

I love cashews! It's probably my favorite nut. I order chicken with cashews frequently when I get Chinese food. I found this recipe, and it got 5 stars, so I figured I would try it. Of course I added a few small changes, but nothing big. It is really yummy!!! Funny thing was I was planning to make my children something different because I didn't think they would like this. Hannah wasn't too crazy about it, but my 2 boys completely cleaned their plates. I was really happily surprised. They even ate the red peppers and green onions in it. My husband comment was that next time I needed to triple the amount so he could have lots more and leftovers afterward. :-) We served this over white rice. If you don't like cashews, you could use almonds or peanuts if you like.

Ingredients

• 3 3/4 teaspoons cornstarch, divided


• 2 tablespoons soy sauce, divided (watch for allergens)


• 2 teaspoons water


• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar (or white vinegar or rice wine vinegar)


• 3/4 teaspoon sugar


• 1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (I used taco bell hot sauce, and honestly it wasn't hot at all. I think with this little amount it just gave it flavor, but you can leave out if you like)


• 1 pound chicken breasts, cut lengthwise into thin strips


• 1/2 - 1 cup chopped cashews


• 2 tablespoons canola oil


• 1 large julienne-cut red bell pepper


• 1 teaspoon minced garlic


• dash of ginger (can use 1/2 tsp fresh if you like)


• 3 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions

Directions

1. Combine 1 teaspoon cornstarch, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, and next 4 ingredients (through hot pepper sauce) in a small bowl; stir with a whisk. (I also added my dry ginger to this, but if you use fresh, don't add yet)

2. Combine remaining 2 3/4 teaspoons cornstarch, remaining 1 tablespoon soy sauce, and chicken in a medium bowl; toss well to coat.

3. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add cashews to pan; cook 3 minutes or until lightly toasted, stirring frequently. Remove from pan.

4. Add oil to pan, swirling to coat. Add chicken mixture to pan; sauté 2 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove chicken from pan; place in a bowl. Add bell pepper to pan; sauté 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and ginger (if using fresh); cook 30 seconds. Add chicken and cornstarch mixture to pan; cook 1 minute or until sauce is slightly thick. Sprinkle with cashews and green onions. Serve over a bed of rice if you like.