Cashew Chicken Stir Fry

I saw an Uncle Ben's Stir Fry Kit at the grocery store for $10. That's the kit, you still have to buy the food! A stir fry is about the simplest thing to cook so buying a 'kit' is a complete waste of resources. Let's lay it  out so we can see what it should cost.

3 tbsp canola oil $.001

1/2 tsp sesame oil $.02

300gm Chicken cut in one inch cubes $4

1 celery stick $.10

1 onion $.33

1/2 cup cashews $.25 (buy bulk in the spring when they're cheap)

3 different peppers from garden $.75

1/2 cup rice $.05

1 tbsp flour $.001

2 tbsp soy sauce $.15

2 green onions diced

These are extremely rough estimates but give some idea of what this meal should cost. The total is $4.65 to feed this meal to two people. The kit comes with instructions so I'll provide those next. Dice all vegetables into large bite size pieces. Dust the chicken with the flour. Add canola and sesame oil to the pan. Get the pan hot and sweat the onion till it starts to soften then add the chicken. Get some brown on the chicken  then add the mushrooms. Sear them a bit then add the celery. Toss the pan add the peppers. Add the soy sauce.  A splash of white wine or chicken stock in the pan will draw the water out into a sauce. When the peppers have softened serve over rice and garnish with green onion.

It's really hard to screw up a stir fry. To ensure success, have everything cut up and the chicken floured before starting cooking. Trying to dice vegetables while something is cooking ends up with burned food combined with under cooked food. Having everything ready before starting cooking is the secret.