the Older Bolder Life Friday Feast: Spicy Cashew Chicken Stir Fry

As the weather begins to cool even the slightest bit (dammit, it was 98 last Sunday here in North Texas) with the arrival of the early fall season, my lovely wife has begun to pester me a bit to queue up some of our favorite stir fry recipes in the upcoming meal plan.

This Spicy Cashew Chicken Stir Fry, easily made with toasted hazelnuts if you’d rather, is one that we’ve been cooking as a family for over two decades now, it’s quick, simple, and once you have some elemental oriental sauces in the pantry and fridge, doesn’t require a special trip to hunt down any rare or unusual ingredients.

Granted, this is very much not an authentic Chinese stir fry recipe; it’s very much Americanized, and offered without apology otherwise.

We love to load this one up with lots of fresh mushrooms and the spicy peppers, which impart so much more flavor to the dish if you stir fry them alone for a few minutes before adding in the mushrooms and green onions.

The fresh juice adds an impressive flavor boost and a burst of needed acidity; unless you’re running insanely tight on your carb intake, by all means don’t think twice about juicing that tangerine or orange for the recipe. And by the way, Nom Nom Paleo has a nice compliant hoisin sauce if you’re concerned about that ingredient as well.

We’ve taken this recipe all around the Northern Rockies camping with the family; just pack up the marinated chicken in a container, the wok sauce in another, and the fresh vegetables in a third. Easy peasy, and you’ll impress the hell out of your fellow campers / river runners / cross-country skiers / picnic buddies on the road.

Make as big a batch as you dare, it’s great left over and reheated too.

6 boneless skinless chicken thighs
1 tbsp hoisin sauce
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp dark sesame oil
1 tbsp Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup roasted hazelnuts or cashews
14-15 medium button mushrooms
6-8 green onions, trimmed
12-15 dried Chile de Arbol chiles
1/4 cup avocado oil

Wok Sauce
1/3 cup freshly squeezed tangerine or orange juice
1/4 cup Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
2 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp hoisin sauce
1 tbsp dark sesame oil
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp cornstarch
2 tsp tangerine/orange zest, minced

Cut the chicken into thin strips in bitesized lengths and add to a bowl with the hoisin sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, wine or sherry, and minced garlic. Stir to mix well, cover and marinate for up to 8 hours.

Toast the nuts in a 325 oven; watch carefully so they don’t burn.

When ready to cook, clean, trim, and quarter the mushrooms, and slice the green onions into 1-inch long pieces on a sharp diagonal.

Heat your trusty wok over high heat, add 1/2 the oil, and just when beginning to give off a little smoke, stir fry the chicken until it changes color; remove to a plate when done.

Reheat the wok, add the rest of the oil, and add the chiles, stirring for a minute before adding the remainder of the vegetables. Stir fry until the mushrooms just begin to soften and the green onions brighten in color (2-3 minutes).

Now stir in the wok sauce, the chicken, and the nuts, keeping things moving until all ingredients are well coated and the sauce has thickened a bit. Taste and adjust the seasonings, then serve hot on heated plates, platters, or bowls.

Enjoy.