My First Post / Cashew Chicken

My first post over at The Jew & The Carrot, that is!

I just posted my recipe for Cashew Chicken, which I have to say is really delicious and easy to make. When I start to crave Chinese food (which is often), I grab my trusty iron skillet and some eco-kosher chicken and whip out this recipe.

I am so thrilled to be blogging over at The Carrot -- it's a really wonderful blog and I'm so honored to be a part of it. I had to screw up my courage and get over my intimidation that everyone else blogging over there was "more Jewish" than I am and had "more eco-kosher" food cred than I do. So I just posted my recipe and now I'm a long way over that intimidation. Someone even left a comment! :-)

Dena's Cashew Chicken & Snow Peas

I am lucky enough to live in Eugene, Oregon. I’ve got it pretty good here – great weather, great outdoors, great Jewish community, great abundance of local organic food. But Chinese food? Not so much here in Eugene.

As a Bay Area transplant, I crave Chinese food. I often feel like I literally NEED it. After months searching for something that would quench my Chinese food tastebuds – and realizing that to keep my version of kosher (which is eco-kosher: less about what is and what is not treyf and more about eating only meat that is ideally organic and pasture-raised – and if not, is absolutely free-range, never given hormones or antibiotics, and was humanely slaughtered) – I came to the conclusion that I’d have to make it myself. For both taste and my personal kashrut reasons. Which is some kind of a life lesson right there, I’m sure.

I stumbled upon a recipe for Cashew Chicken from the inimitable Martha Stewart and decided to give it a whirl – and my own flair. And to tell the truth, it is delicious and happily graces our Friday night Shabbat table pretty often.

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My Classic Go-To Meal: Mustard Greens & Rice

One of my standby, go-to, quick & easy meals is brown rice with sauteed greens of some sort. It's tasty, easy, very nutritional, it fills you up, and makes great leftovers.

My husband has a penchant for mustard greens, so I often use these when making this dish. Kale works deliciously too. Any dark, leafy green of your choice would work -- spinach, chard, collards, dandelion greens, and the like.

Dena's Mustard Greens & Rice

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 bunch mustard greens, rougly chopped and rinsed
As much garlic as you like, chopped (we like a lot!)
1 medium onion, roughly chopped
Brown rice for as many people you're feeding -- for 2 people and leftovers, I use 4 cups (you could also totally substitute quinoa!)
Salt & pepper to taste

(Optional items: garbanzo beans or black beans or protein of your choice)

In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, add 2 tbsp olive oil. When it's shimmery, add garlic and onion and let them get fragrant and the onion slightly translucent. I actually like to wait until the garlic is just this side of toasty.

Then add your washed greens and toss to coat and get them wilty. If you're using mustard greens, which are a particularly hardy green, cover and let it steam to soften the greens. If you're using something more tender, like spinach or chard, you likely won't even need to do that.

When your greens are a rich dark green color and as wilted as you like them (usually pretty darn wilted), add brown rice and remaining tbsp olive oil and toss to combine. Add any optional items. Then salt and pepper to taste and serve and enjoy!

A variation: at the last minute, when you've added the last tbsp of olive oil, also add a tbsp of your favorite vinegar or lemon juice. Adds a nice acidic counterpoint if you're in the mood for a different flavor.