Cashew Chicken

Cashew Chicken

1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless, chicken breasts cut into 1 inch cubes
1 tbsp cornstarch
coarse salt and pepper
2 tbsp vegetable oil
6 garlic cloves, minced ( or 1tbsp jarred minced garlic is what I used)
8 scallions, white and green parts separated, each cut into 1 inch pieces
2 tbsp rice vinegar
3 tbsp Hoisin sauce
1/4 c. raw cashews, toasted ( spread the cashews on a baking sheet, and toast in a 350 degree oven until golden and fragrant, about ten minutes, do this before cooking the chicken, or you can forget to do this like i did and just toss them in at the end of cooking)

In a medium bowl, toss the chicken with the cornstarch until the chicken is coated; season with 3/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. In a large non stick skillet, heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Cook half the chicken, tossing often until browned, about 3 minutes. Transfer to plate.
Add the remaining oil and chicken to the skillet along with the garlic and the white parts of the scallions. Cook, tossing often, until the chicken is browned, about 3 minutes. Return the first batch of chicken to the pan. Add the vinegar, cook until evaporated, about 30 seconds. Add the hoisin sauce and 1/4 c. water, cook, tossing, until the chicken is cooked through, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat. Stir in the green parts of the scallions and the cashews. Serve immediately over white rice. Recipe from Everyday Food Fast.

Pork Quesadilla's

Pork Quesadilla's

1 large garlic clove, unpeeled
1 tbsp vegetable oil, plus more for grates
1 pork tenderloin (3/4 to 1lb)
1 large red onion, cut into 1/2 inch-thick slices
4 tbsp spicy brown mustard, plus more for serving
4 flour tortilla's ( I used low carb)
6 oz thinly slice deli ham
3-4 dill pickles, thinly sliced lengthwise or use the sandwich stacker pickles
8 oz provolone or swiss, coarsely shredded ( I used a mozzarella provolone shredded cheese)

Place the unpeeled garlic clove on a cutting board and smash with the flat side of a knife blade. Peel off the papery skin and discard, trim away the root end. Holding the tip of the blade steady on the cutting board with your free hand and rocking the base of the blade back and forth, chop the garlic into coarse even pieces. Gather the chopped garlic in a pile, sprinkle generously with coarse salt. Place the flat side of the knife blade on top; press firmly, pulling the knife toward you. Repeat until a paste forms. In a small bowl, combine with a 1/4 tsp pepper and the oil. Rub all over pork. ( if you do not want to use fresh garlic, you can substitute 1/8 tsp of garlic powder) The originial recipe has this done on a grill, well i don't have a grill, so I improvised. Heat a large pan, add 1-2 tbsp of vegetable oil or olive oil. Make sure not to burn the oil. Brown both sides of the pork, transfer to a cookie sheet and put in the oven at 350 degrees until a thermometer reads a 160 degrees when inserted in the center. Meanwhile cook the onions until soft and caramelized, set aside. When the pork is done, cut the pork along the grain into thin slices. Take each tortilla and spread 1 tbsp of the Spicy Brown Mustard, layer the ingredients on one side of the tortilla, pork, ham, pickle, onion, and cheese. Fold the tortilla over and press firmly and place into a heated non stick skillet, on med-low heat, if not a non stick make sure to spray the pan with pam and then the top of the tortilla so when you flip it its already greased.

Beef and Orange Stir-Fry

Beef and Orange Stir-Fry

3 oranges
2 garlic cloves,minced.
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 1/2 lbs trimmed boneless sirloin or rib-eye steak, cut into 1/2 in thick strips
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 to 2 tbsp canola oil
6 scallions, green parts only, cut into 1 inch lengths
white rice for serving

Into a small bowl, finely grate some of the orange into zest making sure not to get any of the white part, you should have a 1 tbsp and squeeze the juice from 1 orange. Add the garlic and soy sauce.
With a sharp paring knife, peel the remaining 2 oranges. Slice the oranges crosswise 1/2 inch thick, then halve the slices; push out and discard any seeds. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, toss meat with the cornstarch until coated. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Working in batches (adding more oil if needed) brown the beef on all sides, 3-5 minutes; transfer to plate.
Pour the juice mixture into the skillet and boil until syrupy, about 1 minute. Return the beef to the skillet; add the orange slices and scallions. Toss until coated and heated through. Serve ho, with white rice ( or brown if you prefer)