this was a fairly simple dish to make. instead of just the veggies listed in the recipes, i used one bag of frozen "stir fry" veggies with red peppers, onions, green beans, snap peas, celery, water chestnuts and carrots. i added in an additional small onion and carrot for extra crunch. i added in pepper flakes, for a little extra kick. instead of cashews, i had peanuts in the pantry... they worked out fine.

i like this recipe because it's a great starting point reference for making your own dish. add in whatever things suit you that make you happy. i bet this dish would be good with beef or pork, instead of chicken, even.

overall, i thought the dish was good, despite a few mistakes/corrections on my part. it was a little spicier than i like, assuming because of the pepper flakes. the chicken was a little too bland, even though i salted and peppered it first. i think that could be fixed by adding in the sauce before the chicken is entirely cooked.

jon, however, thought it was too "orangey." i didn't think it was orangey at all, but after eating leftovers for lunch, i can taste the orange a lot more. but, it doesn't bug me. i think next time i'll try this using a sweet and sour sauce i saw alton brown use recently. but, for simplicity in the kitchen i recommend this dish. i used a five minute white rice to pair with the stir fry. all together, this didn't make more than 30 minutes to make.

chicken honey nut stir fry
robyn webb (webb cookbooks); all recipes

2 teaspoons peanut oil
2 stalks celery, chopped
carrots, peeled and diagonally sliced
1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into strips
1 tablespoon cornstarch
3/4 cup orange juice
tablespoons light soy sauce
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger root
1/4 cup cashews
1/4 cup minced green onions

Heat 1 teaspoon of the oil in a wok over high heat. Add the carrots and celery and stir fry for 3 minutes. Add remaining 1 teaspoon oil, then add the chicken and stir fry for 5 more minutes.

In a small bowl, dissolve the cornstarch into the orange juice. Mix in the soy sauce, honey and ginger. Add this sauce to the wok and cook over medium heat until thickened. Top with the cashews and green onions. Can serve with basmati or steamed rice.

Yield: 6 servings