April 19: Park City Cashew Chicken

3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 large onions, 1/4 finely chopped, 3/4 thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups brown rice
3 cups chicken stock or broth
1 1/2 pounds chicken tenders; boneless, skinless chicken breasts; or boneless, skinless thighs, cut into 2-inch pieces
2 tablespoons grill seasoning, such as McCormick's Montreal Steak Seasoning
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and thinly sliced
3 tablespoons chipotle in adobo, or 1 1/2 tablespoons ground chipotle powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons honey
1/4 cup real maple syrup
2 to 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro or flat-leaf parsley, your preference
1 cup raw cashews

In a medium pot over medium heat, combine 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil and the butter. When the butter melts into the oil, add the chopped onions and cook for 2 minutes, then add the rice and cook for 3 minutes more.

Add the stock and cover the pot. Raise the heat to bring the stock to a rapid boil. Once the stock boils, reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the rice is tender, 17 to 18 minutes.

While the rice cooks, make the chicken. Heat a large skillet over high heat. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil, then the chicken. Season the chicken with the grill seasoning.

Lightly brown the chicken on both sides, then move off to one side of the pan. Add the remaining onions, the garlic, and bell peppers.

Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, then mix the vegetables and meat together and add the chipotles and cumin. Toss to coat. Glaze the mixture with honey and maple syrup and turn off the heat. Add the chopped cilantro or parsley and the nuts.

Top the rice with the cashew chicken and serve.

4 SERVINGS

The flavors in this stir fry are really good. My DH really liked it (he didn't eat the veggies, just the meat, nuts, and chipotles with the rice). RR says, "I was in an Albertson's grocery store in Park City, Utah, and picked up a sack of chipotle-coated raw cashews and started eating them while I was still shopping. WOW - were they ever good! I read the ingredients for the coating and used it to make a Western-style chicken and vegetable stir-fry."

I left out the butter since I ran out and I used Mrs. Butterworths instead of real maple syrup. I can't bring myself to spend $6 on a little jar of it.