Cashew Chicken Stir-Fry

Here's a Chinese classic best served with a plentiful amount of hot rice. Make the dish spicy or keep it mild by adjusting the amount of red pepper flakes in the sauce.

You can substitute or add other vegetables (up to 5 cups total) such as cut asparagus, sliced celery, julienned carrots, water chestnuts, or snow peas.

Sauce

1 tbsp. cold water

1 tbsp. cornstarch

1 c. chicken broth

2 tbsp. soy sauce

4 cloves garlic, minced

½ tsp. red pepper flakes, or to taste

½ tsp. powdered turmeric

Dash of ground white pepper, or to taste

To Complete The Recipe

2 tbsp. canola oil

12 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into 2-inch by ½-inch strips

4 c. broccoli florets

1 large red bell pepper, cut into 2-inch by ¼-inch strips

3 scallions, cut into 1 ½-inch strips

¼ c. whole raw cashews (see Tip)

Preparation

To prepare the sauce, stir together the water and cornstarch in a small bowl. Stir in the remaining sauce ingredients; set aside.

To prepare the stir-fry, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and stir-fry for about 5 minutes, or until it is lightly browned and cooked through.

With a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken to a bowl and cover to keep warm.

Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in the same pan. Add the broccoli; stir-fry for about 2 minutes. Add the red pepper and scallions; continue to stir-fry for about 3 minutes, or until the broccoli and red pepper are crisp-tender.

Reduce the heat to medium. Stir the sauce and pour it over the vegetables. Cook, stirring constantly, for about 30 seconds, or until the sauce becomes clear and thickens slightly. Stir in the chicken and cashews. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

To serve, spoon a bed of rice onto individual serving plates. Top with the stir-fry mixture.

Paulette Mitchell, a culinary instructor, television personality, and the author of 10 cookbooks, is known internationally for her quick-to-prepare recipes with a gourmet flair. Her 15-Minute Gourmet cookbook series, including Chicken, Vegetarian, and Noodles, was awarded "Best Cookbook Series in the World" at the 2000 World Cookbook Fair in Périgueux, France in November, 2000. Her Complete Soy Cookbook was named "Best Health Cookbook" at the same event in 1998. Paulette's recipes will appear each day in this column, and she will share culinary tips and kitchen wisdom acquired over the years and through her international travels.