CHINESE NEW YEAR'S IS SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 10TH
YEAR OF THE SNAKE...

My kitchen drawer wasn’t always full of kitchen gadgets. No, it used to be full of menus. Mostly Chinese delivery menus. 

After a childhood of watching my female roll models cook for their families, my best friend and I moved into our own apartment and began living on cans of chicken noodle soup, hot dogs and pork and beans. I could say it was because we couldn’t afford much else (true statement) but we also were twenty some things learning how to “live” and that didn’t include making soup or roasting chicken very often.

And so the “drawer” was born.  We lived on the edge of urban sprawl somewhere between Washington, DC and Baltimore.  There were steak houses, seafood shacks, sub shops, Italian, French, Polish, Korean – fast food, slow food, every kind of food. But best of all, there were eleven Chinese restaurants that would deliver til midnight or later to our little apartment.  After work or a night out, friends would gather and eventually someone would go to the “drawer”. Better jobs and better pay allowed us to upgrade from beans to rice, you might say.  We ate so many fortune cookies that we couldn’t keep up with the Buddhist inspired wisdoms we were promised and saved them in a clear glass jar on the counter.

Moving to the Tuscarawas Valley was a bit of a shock. I tired of the urban life and loved the tranquility that visits to family here had afforded me, so it was easy to relocate with little responsibilities to hold me there. Everything eventually fell into place. Except at about 10 pm, two or three times a week when I would have given anything to see the dark haired Italian delivery guy from Ping’s pull up in his Camaro with a container of General Tso’s.  I was six miles from the nearest gas station and there was definitely no delivery guy even if there had been a restaurant within a half hour ride. At 10 pm the sidewalks were rolled up in town anyway. Deep sigh.

Now even twenty years later, I still think about it.  Whenever that craving hits. 
But there are more Chinese places now.  I can get to one in about fifteen minutes in two different directs from home. When one opened within walking distance of where I worked seven or eight years ago, I made a point of taking Christmas cookies to the girl who always took my phone order and ended with, “Ten minute, please.” That, and a nice tip when you pick up, will get you extra vegetables every time!

Now that I cook for a living, I have mastered the art of satisfying my Chinese desires at home. No, nothing beats “the real thing” but I am close.  My favorite, and pretty easy, is Chicken and Broccoli with Cashews.  Not too many specialty items needed for this one.  You do need a good sized skillet unless you are in possession of “the wok” and a sharp knife is always a bonus.

 

Chicken and Broccoli with Cashews

2 boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1 inch slices

3 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon dark Karo or cane syrup or 1 tsp brown sugar

3 cloves minced garlic or 1 tsp garlic powder

½ teaspoon ground ginger

¾ cup chicken broth

4 teaspoons cornstarch

3 tablespoons oil (sesame or peanut is great, vegetable oil will do)

4 cups broccoli flowerets and pieces

1 red bell pepper, cut into strips

1 medium onion, cut into slices

1/3 cup cashew pieces

2 tablespoons sweet chili sauce or ½ tsp red pepper flakes (optional)

 

In a medium bowl, combine soy sauce, syrup or sugar, garlic and ginger. Add chicken and stir to coat. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, whisk together broth and cornstarch. Set aside.

In a wok or large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of oil until almost smoking.

Add broccoli and pepper strips.  Stir for 3 minutes. Add onions and stir 3 minutes more. Add chicken with the soy sauce mixture and stir fry about 7 minutes til chicken is tender and cooked through.

Stir broth mixture and add to skillet. Continue stirring for 1 or 2 minutes til thickens.  Add cashews and serve with rice.

*You can modify this recipe to suit your tastes.  Exchange chicken for beef or pork in which case you would want to marinate the meat for at least a half hour up to several hours in the soy mixture.  You can skip the broccoli and go for a mixture of red and green peppers instead. Try almonds instead of cashew or skip the nuts altogether. Add more soy sauce if you like.  The sweet chili sauce is a great addition for a little spice. (Frank’s – just like the hot sauce- added one to there product list a couple years ago and you can find so many uses if you like the heat and flavor) Cooking is not always an exact science, have fun.