Main Course Recipes : Cashew Chicken Stir-Fry

Ingredients :

2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 pound boneless chicken breasts, cubed
1 onion, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
1/3 cup rice wine or dry sherry
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 Tbsp. fresh ginger, grated
1 6-oz. can water chestnuts
2 cups Chinese cabbage, (bok choy) chopped
1 cup bean sprouts fresh or canned
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
1/3 cup cashews

Heat oil in skillet or wok. Cook chicken until no longer pink and set aside in a bowl. Add onion and celery to skillet and cook until crisp-tender. Combine rice wine or sherry, soy sauce, cornstarch and ginger together and stir until cornstarch dissolves. Return chicken to celery and onion in the skillet and add water chestnuts and sauce. Cook until sauce starts to thicken. Add Chinese cabbage and bean sprouts and cook for just one or two minutes; do not overcook because the cabbage will become mushy. Stir in hoisin sauce and cashews and serve over hot rice or noodles.

Tips : Use skinless chicken.

Chilled Fresh Asparagus

Ingredients :

2 pounds, fresh asparagus
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tsp. sugar
2 tsp. sesame oil

Snap off tough ends of each asparagus stalk and blanch tips in boiling water for several minutes until crisp-tender, drain. Run cold water over asparagus to stop cooking process. Combine soy sauce, sugar and sesame oil and stir until sugar is dissolved. Cut asparagus into 1-inch pieces and place in bowl with soy sauce mixture. Toss to coat and chill for about 1 hour before serving.

Tips : Use your favorite sugar substitute.