Chicken Cashews

It's surprisingly good for a homemade Chinese dinner, in fact better than any other I've made. There's a lot of different textures and flavors, and the rice pilaf could easily be used with other dishes. I added a little more sesame oil than called for, and be sure to use toasted sesame oil, not regular, for authentic flavor (International Foods is excellent). The only negative is that the way the recipe is written and the ingredients are listed makes it a little confusing to figure out, especially the ingredients for the pilaf. That, plus there's a lot of prep and chopping which is often the case with CL recipes, but I'm sure it could be simplified to take less time. All in all, this is definitely a winner! We loved it and there was nothing left!

INGREDIENTS
3 tbsps soy sauce, divided
2 tbsps dry sherry
2 tbsps oyster sauce
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp grated peeled fresh ginger
4 tsps cornstarch, divided
2 tsps sesame oil, divided
3/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/4 cup chopped unsalted dry-roasted cashews
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces

DIRECTIONS
1. Combine 1 tbsp soy sauce, sherry, 2 tsps cornstarch, and chicken in a large bowl, toss well to coat. Combine remaining 2 tablespoons soy sauce, remaining 2 tsps cornstarch, broth, oyster sauce, and honey in a small bowl.

2. Heat 1 tsp oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken mixture to pan, saute 3 minutes. Remove from pan. Heat remaining 1 tsp oil in pan. Add onion, celery, and bell pepper to pan, saute 2 minutes. Add ginger and garlic, saute 1 minute. Return chicken mixture to pan, saute 1 minute. Stir in broth mixture. Bring to a boil, cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Sprinkle with green onions and cashews.

Rice pilaf: Heat 1 tbsp canola oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add 1/2 cup chopped onion and 2 tsps grated peeled fresh ginger to pan; saute 2 minutes. Stir in 1 cup water, 1/2 cup long-grain rice, and 1/4 tsp salt, bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 12 minutes
or until liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat, stir in 2 tbsps chopped fresh cilantro.