Cashew & Pork Stir Fry

Cashew and Pork Stir-Fry
I had some pork in the freezer that needed to be used. I was searching on recipezaar for something to fit the bill. I came across this wonderful gem and will be making it often. I did add some changes like the chicken breast, celery, carrots and mushrooms. This recipe comes from Galley Wench in Mexico currently - on a sailboat in the Sea of Cortez.

2 lb pork tenderloin (I used 3/4 lb pork chops and 3/4 lb chicken breast)
8 TBSP soy sauce
3 TBSP cornstarch
1 cup cashew nuts (unsalted is preferred)
4 TBSP vegetable oil
1/4 - 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (use sparingly)
5 green onions, sliced
4 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
1 tsp ground ginger
1 bell pepper, deseeded and sliced
2 stalks celery, sliced
2 medium carrots, sliced
8 medium mushrooms, sliced
1 15 oz can chicken broth (I used 1 pint chicken stock)
1 TBSP dry parsley
hot cooked rice

Slice pork and chicken into 3/4 inch slices. Place in a ziploc bag. Add soy sauce and cornstarch. Knead the bag so the meat gets well coated with the soy sauce and cornstarch. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Heat skillet or wok until hot. Add cashews and dry-fry until toasted - it won't take long at all. Transfer to a bowl and save.
Add 2 TBSP oil to wok. Add meat with marinade sauce. Stir fry until meat is cooked. Add remaining ingredients except chicken stock,parsley and rice. Stir fry until veggies are done to your satisfaction. Add chicken stock. Bring to a boil and simmer until sauce thickens. Stir in toasted cashews and parsley. Serve over rice.

* Freshly cooked oriental noodles are called for in this recipe - but I didn't have any on hand.

Cashew Chicken

Nephi saw this recipe in one of my books and asked for it for dinner. It's okay if he didn't actually want to EAT it! Russell and I absolutely loved it as it is chalk full of mushrooms. We love mushrooms.
We had this with the Shredded Beef and Pepper Stir-fry so everyone could have a choice. I chose both because a) hungry, b) wanted both or c) both of the above.

Cashew Chicken
Marinade:
1 egg white
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 TBSP vegetable oil
1 1/4 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Sauce:
1 cup chicken broth
2 TBSP soy sauce
1 TBSP rice vinegar
1 TBSP soy sauce

Vegetables:
1/2 cup cashews
8 oz white mushrooms
4 green onions
2 TBSP vegetable oil
1/2 tsp powdered ginger OR 1 TBSP peeled, minced fresh gingerroot

Marinade:
In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients except chicken. Mix well. Add chicken. Mix to thoroughly coat chicken and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.

Sauce:
Mix all ingredients in smallish bowl and set aside.

Clean mushrooms, trim stems. Cut into quarters. Trim green onions and thinly slice.

In a heavy skillet or wok, heat 1 TBSP oil over med-high heat. Drain chicken; discard marinade. (If you are like me and forgot to - it will make the finished dish very runny. I somehow overlooked this little detail until I was typing this up.) Oops. Cook chicken, stirring occasionally, until it turns white. Add mushrooms and green onions to the chicken. Cook just until mushrooms reach desired doneness. Add sauce. Bring to a boil and cook until thickened. Add cashews.
Serve over rice.