April 21: Asian-Style Cashew Chicken

3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 large onion, 1/4 finely chopped, 3/4 thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups brown rice
3 cups chicken stock or broth
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
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
1 cup pea pods, chopped
2 cups bean sprouts
4 scallions, sliced on the diagonal in 2-inch lengths
1/3 cup tamari
1/2 cup duck sauce
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, 35 to 40 minutes.

While the rice cooks, make the chicken. Heat a large skillet over high heat. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil, the red pepper flakes, 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, bell peppers, pea pods, bean sprouts and scallions. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, then mix the vegetables and meat together and add the tamari and duck sauce.

Turn off the heat and add the cashews and cilantro or parsley. Serve over the brown rice.

4 SERVINGS

This is a variation of the Park City Cashew chicken. I didn't make this Thursday night like I should have, because it was too late when we got home from the airport and a didn't feel good. So we ordered pizza for my dear daughter's 2nd birthday. I made this recipe for my sister-in-law and her husband on Friday. We all really liked it, but it was very salty. Maybe next time we would add less tamari. I did have the bean sprouts for this recipe, but it took me so long to make it they got too old and we had to throw them away and do without. I changed the cooking time of the rice, since it says to cook it 17 to 18 minutes, but brown rice takes longer to cook.