was that too dark for you?  here’s a recipe for cashew chicken.

this recipe makes three servings if you’re super-hungry and don’t make any side dishes, or four plus if you have other food.  you can add or remove ingredients according to taste, too.  really the only way to mess it up is if you overcook the chicken, or if you forget that the tarragon bottle doesn’t have those shaker holes under the cap, so when you unscrew the cap and turn the bottle over to shake some out you end up dumping a cup of tarragon into your chicken broth.  you know, hypothetically.

(i bet vegetarians could make this using vegetable broth and tofu.  i don’t know how to cook tofu, though, so you’ll have to figure it out yourself.)

2 chicken breasts, thawed

1 can sliced water chestnuts, drained

1 cup (or more) chopped broccoli, fresh or frozen

1/2-1 cup cashews

1 cup chicken broth (i use a boullion cube and a cup of hot water, which is basically the same)

1 tbsp cornstarch

2 tbsp soy sauce

a clove or two of garlic (to taste–i use two large ones but i really love garlic), finely chopped or minced

1/3 teaspoon tarragon (i think i use more of this, too)

1-2 tbsp cooking oil

cut chicken breasts into one-inch cubes.

in a large skillet or a wok, stir-fry the chicken cubes in the oil until they’re cooked on the outside; drain the excess oil.

combine the broth, cornstarch, soy sauce, tarragon, and garlic.  if you sprinkle the cornstarch in a little bit at a time, it won’t get clumpy.

put the chicken back in the skillet with the broccoli, water chestnuts, and broth mix. avoid splashing broth mix everywhere by pouring it on last.  i always forget to do this and end up getting my shirt all brothy.

cover and simmer on medium low, stirring occasionally, until sauce is thickened and chicken is done–not quite sure how long this takes, but it’s definitely not that long.

you can throw in the cashews to simmer for the last few minutes like my dad does, or you can just sprinkle them on your own serving like i do. if you’re serving people who don’t like cashews (ryan) or are allergic (another ryan’s brother), the latter method works well and is just as good.  the latter method is also better if you’re going to have leftovers, since the cashews tend to get soggy if you throw them in the mix.

oh, and make rice! it also has rice!