1 ½poundsboneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2- to 1-inch pieces
1teaspooncornstarch
1teaspoonbaking soda
1 to 2tablespoonsolive oil
2 to 3garlic cloves, finely minced
½ to 1tablespoongrated or finely chopped fresh ginger, or ginger paste from a tube
2green bell peppers, seeded, cored and diced into bite-size pieces
1 to 1 ½cupsroasted cashews, I prefer unsalted
Sauce:
½cuplow-sodium chicken broth
¼cuplow-sodium soy sauce
¼cupoyster sauce
3tablespoonsunseasoned rice vinegar
1tablespooncornstarch
1tablespoonhoney
2teaspoonssesame oil
Pinchof red pepper flakes, optional
Instructions
Place the diced chicken in a medium bowl and toss with the 1 teaspoon cornstarch and 1 teaspoon baking soda. Let the mixture rest for 15 minutes while you prep the other ingredients.
Whisk together the sauce ingredients in a bowl or liquid measuring cup. Set aside.
Rinse the chicken in a colander and pat dry (I leave the rinsed chicken in the colander, grab a bunch of paper towels and dab all over the surface, kind of turning the chicken as I pat dry).
In a large, 12-inch nonstick skillet heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. You want the skillet very hot.
Add the chicken in a single layer and stir constantly; the chicken should turn white as it cooks - but not get overly brown. Let it cook for 1-2 minutes (it's ok if it isn't fully cooked yet; it will cook more in the next few steps).
Scoot the chicken to the edges of the pan. Add another drizzle (a teaspoon or so) of olive oil to the center of the skillet.
Add the garlic and ginger to the center of the skillet and mash gently as it cooks, about 30 seconds.
Add the green peppers; stir to combine the chicken, garlic/ginger, and peppers.
Whisk the sauce to recombine, and add it to the skillet. Bring to a simmer and cook for 2-3 minutes until slightly thickened, the chicken is cooked through, and the peppers are crisp-tender.
Remove from the heat, add the cashews, and serve over hot, cooked rice (if desired).
Notes
Saltiness: I highly recommend using low-sodium soy sauce and low-sodium chicken broth (both of which I keep on hand vs their saltier counterparts) for this recipe so the finished dish isn't too salty. Ginger: a note about ginger, that fresh pop of flavor really adds to this dish, but if you don't like the taste or don't have it, you can probably leave it out. I always grab large knobs of ginger from the produce section, chop into 1-inch pieces and pop into a freezer ziploc bag. When I need it, I pull a piece straight from the freezer and grate it on the small holes of a box grater or a rasp grater. Works perfectly!Cashews: I like using unsalted cashews as well, but if you only have salted, try rinsing them and patting dry before using. I find unsalted, roasted cashews at my local grocery store's bulk bins, sometimes even in the snack aisle, or at Trader Joe's.