Happy first full day of Spring! The sun is shining in the PNW and I’m ready to get more of that natural vitamin D in my life!
Do you love take-out food? When I used to work in an office all day, heading out to pick up food was a nice getaway from the grind. I was so happy when this little Thai place opened up down the street, and I did my best to support them with my business because I did NOT want them to have to close up! My office was in a bit of a food desert (except for fast food) so I was pretty excited to have a gluten free option to go to so close to the office.
What I didn’t know about Thai food in the beginning was that most Thai dishes are traditionally soy and gluten free. While that may be traditional, that may not always be how your food is made, so if you have a sensitivity to gluten and soy, be sure to ask before picking your dish!
Cashew Chicken was my go-to for lunch! I loved that it was full of veggies and enjoyed the little crunch and nutty-ness from the cashews.
Since Thai food isn’t just around the corner from home, I haven’t had it as much as I used to. It was time to make it myself at home!
What I love about this version is it’s packed with even more veggies and it uses chicken thighs instead of chicken breast for more flavor!
I hope you love it just as much as we have! Feel free to play with the veggies, and swap them out for what you have on hand!
Cashew Chicken
Cashew Chicken
Ingredients
- 2-3 Tbsp Coconut Oil
- 2 lb Chicken Thighs thinly sliced
- 1 Onion cut into 1/2 inch pieces
- 1 Carrot thinly sliced
- 2 Bell Peppers cut into 1 inch pieces (I used red and green)
- 1 Zucchini quartered and cut into 1/4 inch slices
- 4 cloves Garlic minced
- 1 tsp Sea Salt
- 1/2 cup Cashews plus more for garnish
- Sliced Green Onions for garnish
Sauce
- 1/2 cup Coconut Aminos
- 1/4 tsp Fish Sauce
- 1 tsp Sesame Oil
- 1 Tbsp Rice Vinegar
Instructions
- Add the sauce ingredients to a medium bowl and stir to combine. Set aside.
- Heat 1 Tbsp of coconut oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. When the pan is hot, add half the sliced chicken and 1/2 tsp of salt, and cook until done, about 5-7 minutes. Be sure to flip the chicken to brown on both sides. Transfer cooked chicken to a plate and set aside. Add more coconut oil to the pan if needed and repeat with the rest of the chicken.
- If the pan is dry after transferring the chicken, add more oil to saute the vegetables. Add the onions to the pan and cook until almost translucent, about 4 minutes. Stir often. Add minced garlic and stir for an additional 1 minute.
- Add the remaining vegetables to the pan and saute for 6 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. Stir frequently.
- Transfer the chicken back to the pan with the vegetables and add the cashews. Stir to combine.
- Pour in the sauce and stir with the vegetables and chicken. Let simmer for 3-5 minutes, or until the sauce thickens.
- Serve alone or over rice or cauliflower rice. Garnish with sliced green onions and cashews.
What is your favorite take-out food? Share in the comments!
And if you make this dish, I’d love to hear from you in the comments!