Why You’ll Love This Recipe!

This recipe has been an old Wilkes family go to dinner for years. It had been a while since I made it but made it for dinner last week and my husband told me at least three times during the meal how much he liked it.  I always get at least one Yum but when I get it three times I KNOW it’s a good one. This one’s a 3 YUM recipe! I decided it was about time I shared it here on the blog.

The sauce for this stir fry is a delicious combination of oyster sauce, sesame oil, soy sauce and rice vinegar. They can all be found on the Asian aisle of your grocery store.  They help give this dish it’s great taste. Like a lot of Asian recipes there are quite a few ingredients involved but don’t let that scare you away!

Ingredients Needed

• Chicken Thighs, boneless, skinless
• Chicken Broth
• Vegetable Oil
• Sesame Oil
• Brown Sugar
• Soy Sauce
• Rice Vinegar
• Oyster Sauce
• Ketchup
• Cornstarch
• Vegetables: Carrots, Bell Peppers, Green Onions.
• Ginger
• Garlic
• Cashews
• Black Pepper
• Sesame Seeds

How to Make Cashew Chicken

• Combine chicken broth, soy sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar, oyster sauce and ketchup to make sauce. Set aside 1 Tbsp of sauce.
• Cut chicken up into bite-size pieces.
• Slice veggies into bite-size pieces.
• Combine 1 Tbsp cashew chicken sauce, sesame oil, black pepper and cornstarch and add chicken. Marinate chicken for 15 minutes.
• Sauté veggies in a large skillet with vegetable oil until desired doneness.
• Remove vegetables from pan.
• Add marinated chicken, ginger, garlic and additional oil into the frying pan and cook chicken until cooked through. Add vegetables back in.
• Pour Cashew Chicken Sauce over chicken mixture and stir until sauce thickens.
• Add in cashews.
• Serve with rice and garnish with sesame seeds, green onions and additional cashews if desired.

Check out these other favorite Chinese takeout recipes:

• Instant Pot Mongolian Beef
• Lemon Chicken
• General Tso Chicken
• Sweet and Sour Pork

Be sure and follow me over on You Tube for weekly cooking demos.

Print

Cashew Chicken Recipe

Cashew Chicken has great flavor thanks to an amazing sauce.  You can personalize it with your favorite veggies and can make it in less time than it takes to pick up your favorite take out.

Course Main Dish

Cuisine Chinese

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 35 minutes minutes

Servings 4 servings

Calories 384kcal

Author Leigh Anne Wilkes

Equipment

• Frying Pan
• Measuring Cups
• Measuring Spoons

Ingredients

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs cut into bite size pieces
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 Tbsp cornstarch
• 2 carrots peeled and cut into 1/4 inch coins
• 1 red pepper diced
• 1 tsp ginger minced
• 2 tsp garlic minced
• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 3/4 cup cashews
• 2 green onions diced
• sesame seeds for garnish

Cashew Chicken Sauce

• 1/4 cup chicken broth
• 2 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 Tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 Tbsp ketchup

Instructions

Cashew Chicken Sauce

• Mix up all ingredients and reserve 1 Tbsp for the chicken.
• Cut chicken and veggies up into bite size pieces. .
• Add 1 tbsp cashew chicken sauce, 1 tsp sesame oil, black pepper and cornstarch to chicken. Let sit 15 minutes.
• Cook carrots and red pepper in 1 Tbsp of vegetable oil in a large frying pan. Cook to desired doneness. Remove from pan.
• Add chicken, ginger, garlic and an additional Tablespoon of oil if needed int the frying pan and cook chicken until cooked through. Add vegetables back in.
• Pour Cashew Chicken Sauce over chicken mixture and stir until sauce thickens.
• Add in cashews. Serve with rice and garnish with sesame seeds, green onions and additional cashews if desired.

Notes

1. I use boneless, skinless chicken thighs, but you can use boneless, skinless chicken breasts if you prefer.
2. I use carrots, red peppers, and snow peas, but you can customize it with your favorite vegetables by using broccoli, asparagus, green beans and others.
3. Garnish with sesame seeds, more  cashews and green onions for color.

Nutrition

Calories: 384kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 107mg | Sodium: 605mg | Potassium: 651mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 6133IU | Vitamin C: 42mg | Calcium: 36mg | Iron: 3mg

Continue reading Cashew Chicken. This post is from Your Homebased Mom. If you are not reading it from our feed, it has been STOLEN. Please contact Leigh Anne Wilkes to let us know. Enjoy the posts.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe!

Better Than Take Out. This version of Sweet and Sour Chicken has definitely become a family favorite takeout recipe. I am not a big fan of the heavily breaded Sweet and Sour you usually get at Chinese places but this version is light, has amazing flavor and yummy, just the right amount of sweetness and tastes amazing.

Make in Under 30 Minutes. Making it at home is so easy you may never need to order takeout again! It takes just 30 minutes and you can easily substitute pork or beef.

Ingredients Needed

• Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
• All Purpose Flour
• Olive Oil, vegetable oil, canola oil or peanut oil.
• Cornstarch
• Brown Sugar
• Rice Vinegar. Can also use apple cider vinegar.
• Chicken Broth
• Soy Sauce. You can use low sodium or light soy sauce if you prefer.
• Canned Pineapple Chunks, use the juice too!
• Red Bell Pepper
• Onion
• Salt and Pepper
• Sesame seeds for garnish

How to Make Sweet and Sour Chicken

• Cut your chicken into bite-sized pieces and then lightly coat with flour.
• Heat your olive oil in a large skillet and cook the chicken pieces until cooked through.  Don’t overcook your chicken which is easy to do when it is cut into small pieces.  I often pull it out a minute before I think it is done. Remove the chicken to a plate covered with paper towels while you cook the rest.
• Add your peppers or onions to the pan, there should be enough oil still in the pan.  Cook until onions and peppers are tender.
• In same skillet, combine cornstarch, salt, pepper, brown sugar, vinegar, pineapple juice, chicken broth and soy sauce along with the peppers and onions.  Stir over a low boil for a few minutes until the sauce thickens. It will thicken more as it cools.
• Add in your cooked chicken and pineapple chunks into the sour sauce and stir to coat.  Serve over rice.

Check out more delicious recipes:

• Strawberries with Sour Cream
• Sour Cream Cookies
• Sour Cream Lemon Pie
• Strawberry Bundt Cake
• Sour Cream Raspberry Pie

Be sure and follow me over on You Tube for weekly cooking demos.

Print

Sweet and Sour Chicken Recipe

Sweet and Sour Chicken is kid friendly, even your pickiest eaters will love it and it is guaranteed to become part of your regular meal plan rotation.

Course Main Course, Main Dish

Cuisine Asian

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

0 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 4 people

Calories 522kcal

Author Leigh Anne Wilkes

Equipment

• Frying Pan
• Measuring Cups
• Measuring Spoons

Ingredients

• 4 chicken breasts boneless, skinless
• 6 Tbsp flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/8 cup cornstarch
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup vinegar
• 1 20 oz. pineapple chunks reserve juice
• 1/2 cup pineapple juice use reserved juice
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1 red bell pepper sliced
• 1/4 cup onion sliced
• sesame seeds for grnish

Instructions

• Cut chicken into bite size pieces and lightly coat in flour mixed with salt and pepper. Fry in olive oil until browned
• Drain and set aside on a plate covered with paper towels.
• Add your peppers or onions to the pan, there should be enough oil still in the pan.  Cook until onions and peppers are tender.
• In same skillet, combine cornstarch, salt, pepper, brown sugar, vinegar, pineapple juice, chicken broth and soy sauce along with the peppers and onions.  Stir over a low boil for a few minutes until the sauce thickens. It will thicken more as it cools.
• Add chicken and pineapple and stir to coat.
• Cook until heated through
• Serve over rice and garnish with sesame seeds if desired.

Notes

1. Serve sweet and sour chicken with a side of roasted broccoli or roasted carrots.
2. For more color, add a sprinkle of chopped green onions at the end along with the sesame seeds.
3. For some crunch add some show mein noodles, peanuts or cashews on top.
4. Serve with white rice, cauliflower rice or brown rice.
5. For a little kick, add a sprinkle of red pepper flakes to the sauce.

Nutrition

Calories: 522kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 50g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 145mg | Sodium: 1382mg | Potassium: 1006mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 999IU | Vitamin C: 46mg | Calcium: 27mg | Iron: 2mg

Continue reading Sweet and Sour Chicken. This post is from Your Homebased Mom. If you are not reading it from our feed, it has been STOLEN. Please contact Leigh Anne Wilkes to let us know. Enjoy the posts.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

There are all kinds of ways to make teriyaki chicken. I often make it in the crock pot. But today we have a more authentic, traditional version.

The word teriyaki comes from the Japanese root words teri, to shine, and yaki, to broil or grill. That’s the way traditional teriyaki looks, it’s shiny and has grill marks. 

Ingredients Needed

• Chicken. I prefer to use boneless, skinless chicken thighs for this recipe. You can use boneless, skinless chicken breasts if you prefer.
• Soy Sauce. I prefer to use low sodium soy sauce. You can also use Tamari if you need a gluten free version.
• Mirin. This is a Japanese rice wine vinegar and gives the sauce a subtle sweet tang. I highly recommend using it. You can find it in the Asian aisle of the store along with the soy sauce. If you can’t find it, you can substitute dry sherry, sweet marsala wine, dry white wine or rice vinegar will also do, though you’ll need to counteract the sourness with about a 1/2 teaspoon of sugar for every tablespoon you use.
• Garlic. I use fresh minced garlic.
• Ginger. If you don’t have fresh you can substitute dried ginger but use half the amount.
• Sugar. Use granulated sugar or you an substitute honey.

How to Make Teriyaki Chicken

• Combine the soy sauce and sugar in a sauce pan and bring to a bowl, stir so that the sugar dissolves.
• Reserve 1/4 cup of marinade to pour over cooked chicken.
• Let the 3/4 cup of mixture cool and then add in the garlic, ginger and mirin and blend in the blender.
• Add chicken and marinade to a plastic bag. Place in the refrigerator over night.

• Grill chicken until cooked through.

• Slice the chicken, and place on a serving plate.
• Pour reserved sauce over the top.
• Serve with rice and garnish with green onions.

Check out more easy dinner ideas:

• Crock Pot Teriyaki Chicken
• Teriyaki Beef Marinade
• Slow Cooker Teriyaki Beef
• Roasted Teriyaki Brussels Sprouts
• Teriyaki Hamburgers

Be sure and follow me over on You Tube for weekly cooking demos.

Print

Teriyaki Chicken Recipe

Teriyaki Chicken is a meal the whole family will love. The marinated chicken is grilled allowing the teriyaki sauce to caramelize on the chicken.

Course Main Dish

Cuisine Asian

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Marinade 1 hour hour

Total Time 1 hour hour 20 minutes minutes

Servings 8 people

Calories 208kcal

Author Leigh Anne Wilkes

Ingredients

• 8 boneless skinless chicken thighs
• 1 cup low sodium soy sauce
• 2 Tbsp mirin
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar or honey
• 1 tsp ginger minced
• 4 tsp garlic minced

Instructions

• In a sauce pan combine soy sauce and sugar. Bring to a boil and stir to dissolve sugar. Cool. Set aside 1/4 cup.
• Combine 3/4 cup of soy sauce mixture with mirin, garlic and ginger. Place in blender and blend until smooth.
• Pour mixture over chicken in a zipper bag. Marinate for at least one hour to overnight.
• Grill chicken. Slice and pour reserved sauce over top.

Video

Notes

You can use boneless, skinless chicken breasts if you prefer.

Add in some veggies:My favorite veggies to add are bell peppers, broccoli, mushrooms. Saute them in some light oil until tender and then serve them with the chicken over the rice.

Nutrition

Calories: 208kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 107mg | Sodium: 1196mg | Potassium: 340mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 27IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 18mg | Iron: 2mg

Continue reading Teriyaki Chicken. This post is from Your Homebased Mom. If you are not reading it from our feed, it has been STOLEN. Please contact Leigh Anne Wilkes to let us know. Enjoy the posts.

There are two things I love about these chicken lettuce wraps.  First, it is so easy!  It comes together super quick thanks to the use of broccoli slaw.  The slaw and the almonds also give the dish great texture and crunch.

The second thing I love is the flavor.  I used the teriyaki sauce from Trader Joes but you can use your favorite. Many lettuce wrap recipes I come across have a list of ingredients a mile long.  This one doesn’t, so it is perfect for those nights when you need dinner, quick, easy and delicious!

Lettuce Wrap Ingredients

• Meat. I use ground turkey, ground pork or ground chicken but you could also use ground beef.
• Onion
• Olive Oil
• Seasoning. Salt, pepper, garlic salt
• Broccoli Slaw. You can buy this prepackaged or make your own. You could also use shredded cabbage.
• Water Chestnuts. This gives the wraps some great crunch. You can also add in mushrooms.
• Teriyaki Sauce. Use your favorite brand. You can also just use soy sauce if you prefer less sugar.
• Sesame Oil.
• Slivered almonds or green onions for garnish.
• Lettuce. You can use iceberg lettuce or butter lettuce. Butter lettuce is softer and doesn’t crack as easily as iceberg.

How Do You Make Chicken Lettuce Wraps?

• Brown meat in a large frying pan with a little olive oil and onion.
• Add salt, pepper and garlic salt to taste.
• Once meat is cooked through add in broccoli slaw, water chestnuts, teriyaki sauce and sesame oil.

• Stir to combine and cook for another 10-15 minutes.
• Serve mixture wrapped in a lettuce leaf.
• Garnish with slivered almonds, additional teriyaki sauce and sweet chili sauce if desired.

How to Store and Reheat?

Keep leftover meat mixture and lettuce stored separately in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. To reheat, place meat mixture in a skillet on the stove top over medium heat. Stir to heat through.

When you need a quick, easy and healthy dinner give this one a try.

Be sure and follow me over on You Tube for weekly cooking demos.

Print

Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Easy Chicken Lettuce Wraps live up to their name – easy!  They are also delicious and make the perfect quick, weeknight meal everyone will love.

Course Main Dish

Cuisine Chinese

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

0 minutes minutes

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 4 servings

Calories 292kcal

Author Leigh Anne Wilkes

Equipment

• Frying Pan
• Measuring Spoons
• Measuring Cups

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 1 cup finely chopped onion
• 1 lb. ground chicken or turkey
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 1/4 tsp. garlic salt
• 1 12 oz. bag of Broccoli Slaw
• 1 water chestnuts drained
• 1/2 cup Teriyaki Sauce
• 1 tsp. sesame oil
• 8 butter lettuce leaves
• slivered almonds garnish
• sweet chili sauce garnish
• green onions garnish

Instructions

• Place oil into large skillet over medium heat
• When hot, add onion and cook for 5 minutes to soften
• Add ground meat, salt, pepper and garlic salt
• Cook until browned, crumbled and cooked through
• When meat is cooked, stir in broccoli slaw, water chestnuts, teriyaki sauce and sesame oil
• Cook for another 10-15 minutes or until heated through
• Reduce heat to low until ready to serve
• Serve spoonfuls inside lettuce leaves
• Garnish with slivered almonds and sweet chili sauce.

Video

Notes

You can use any of the following: Iceberg lettuce, Romaine lettuce or Butter lettuce. I prefer Butter lettuce because it is softer and doesn’t fall apart as easily as the iceberg lettuce does. Romaine works better than iceberg too.

Broccoli slaw is found in a bag in the produce section of the grocery store, usually near the shredded cabbage or coleslaw. I love it because it’s yummy and there is no chopping involved

Nutrition

Calories: 292kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 98mg | Sodium: 1690mg | Potassium: 810mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 997IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 37mg | Iron: 2mg

Continue reading Easy Chicken Lettuce Wraps. This post is from Your Homebased Mom. If you are not reading it from our feed, it has been STOLEN. Please contact Leigh Anne Wilkes to let us know. Enjoy the posts.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Pantry Staple Ingredients: The recipe uses many ingredients you probably already have in your pantry and is so quick to put together, slicing the beef is the hardest part.

Cooking it in the slow cooker eliminates needing to marinade the beef and you end up with the most tender and flavorful beef ever!

Steaming the broccoli and adding it in at the end ensures you have nice nice and crisp tender broccoli!

Ingredients Needed

• Top sirloin, cut into strips.
• Chicken broth or beef broth
• Soy Sauce
• Brown Sugar
• Sesame Oil
• Garlic cloves, minced
• Ginger, minced
• Red Chili Flakes
• Cornstarch
• Broccoli florets

How to Make Crock Pot Beef and Broccoli

• In a small bowl, stir together broth, soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, garlic, ginger and chili flakes. Mix to combine.

• Slice meat into 2 inch long pieces that are 1/2 inch thin strips and place into slow cooker.

• Pour liquid mixture over meat. Add lid and cook on low for 3 hours.

• Steam broccoli by placing it in a bowl, add in 2 Tbsp water, cover with a lid or damp paper towel and microwave for 4-5 minutes or until broccoli is fork tender.
• Remove liquid from crock pot and pour through a strainer.
• Put liquid into a sauce pan and add in 3 Tbsp cornstarch. Bring to a boil and allow to thicken.

• Pour thickened sauce over meat and broccoli and serve over hot cooked rice such as white rice, jasmine rice, brown rice or cauliflower rice.
• Garnish with sesame seeds and or green onions.

Try these other delicious recipes too!

• Broccoli Pasta Salad
• Broccoli Salad
• Broccoli Cheese Soup
• Broccoli Crunch Salad
• Roasted Broccoli with Parmesan Cheese and Pine Nuts

Be sure and follow me over on You Tube for weekly cooking demos.

Print

Crock Pot Beef and Broccoli

This Crock Pot Beef and Broccoli takes less than 15 minutes to put together and the whole family will love it. The beef is tender and full of flavor and It's easier and better than your favorite take out!

Course Main Dish

Cuisine Chinese

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 3 hours hours

Total Time 3 hours hours 15 minutes minutes

Servings 4 people

Calories 400kcal

Author Leigh Anne Wilkes

Equipment

• Slow Cooker (6qt)
• Slow Cooker Liners
• Measuring Cups

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lb. top sirloin steak cut into 2 inch long slices,1/2 inch thick
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 cup brown sugar packed
• 1 Tbsp sesame oil
• 3 tsp garlic minced
• 1 tsp ginger minced
• 1/4 tsp red chili flakes
• 3-4 cups broccoli florets

Instructions

• In a medium size bowl, combine broth, soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, garlic, ginger and chili flakes. Mix to combine.
• Slice meat into 2 inch long pieces that are 1/2 inch thick and place into slow cooker.
• Pour liquid mixture over meat. Add lid and cook on low for 3 hours.
• Steam broccoli by placing it in a bowl, add in 2 Tbsp water, cover with a lid or damp paper towel and microwave for 4-5 minutes or until broccoli is fork tender.
• Remove liquid and pour through a strainer
• Put liquid into a sauce pan and whisk in 3 Tbsp cornstarch. Bring to a boil and allow to thicken. (about 3-4 minutes)
• Pour thickened sauce over meat and broccoli and serve over rice.
• Garnish with sesame seeds if desired.

Notes

Note: Additional veggies can be added in the last 30 minutes of cooking time although carrots may take a bit longer, depending on how thin or thick they are sliced. You may want to steam the carrots before adding them along with the broccoli to ensure they are tender enough.

• Carrots
• Snow Peas
• Zucchini
• Red Peppers
• Asparagus
• Celery
• Mushrooms

Nutrition

Calories: 400kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 43g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 102mg | Sodium: 1493mg | Potassium: 996mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 28g | Vitamin A: 464IU | Vitamin C: 62mg | Calcium: 109mg | Iron: 4mg

Continue reading Crock Pot Beef and Broccoli. This post is from Your Homebased Mom. If you are not reading it from our feed, it has been STOLEN. Please contact Leigh Anne Wilkes to let us know. Enjoy the posts.