CASHEW CHICKEN

Cooking Sauce:

Stir together 2 teaspoons cornstarch, a dash of liquid hot pepper seasoning, 3 teaspoons each sugar and white wine vinegar, 4 teaspoons dry sherry, and 6 tablespoons soy sauce.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 whole chicken breast (about 1 lb.) skinned, boned, and cut into bite-size pieces
3 tablespoons salad oil
1 cup salted roasted cashews
1 medium-size green bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch squares (I substitute an equal amount of jalepenos, about 10 of them)
1 medium-size onion, cut into 8 wedges, layers seperated.
1 teaspoon finely minced fresh ginger or 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

Prepare Cooking Sauce and set aside. In a bowl, stir together soy and cornstarch; add chicken and stir to coat. Set aside

Place a wok over medium-high heat; when wok is hot, add 2 tablespoons of the oil. When oil is hot, add cashews and stir until browned (about 1 minute). Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add chicken mixture and stir-fry until meat is no longer pink in center; cut to test (about 3 minutes). Remove from wok and set aside.

Pour remaining 1 tablespoon oil into wok; when oil is hot, add bell pepper (or jalepenos), onion, and ginger and stir-fry until pepper is tender-crisp to bite (about 4 minutes). Return chicken to wok. Stir Cooking Sauce and pour into wok; stir until sauce boils and thickens. Stir in Cashews. Makes 4 servings.

Serve with steamed rice. 1 cup of long grain white rice and 3 cups of water. See instructions in "Rice" recipe.

Recipe can be halved for 2 servings. Serve only 1/2 the rice, as well.