Cashew Shrimp with Rice Noodles

This was WAY easier than I thought it would be. Seriously, I think this, or something like it, might become a staple of my cooking from now on, especially as summer comes along and vegetables are super fresh.

The inspiration for this came when a few weeks ago my girlfriend and I were at a local Chinese restaurant. We tried the "Almond Chicken" and really liked it. Essentially, it was chicken and vegetables in a clear, savory sauce. We liked it enough that we asked the cook how to make it, and got what was a much simpler answer than I anticipated.

Then, a few days ago we decided that we wanted something light for lunch. I remembered the dish we'd had a few weeks before and came up with this. Not the same thing that we had, but close enough.

Cashew Shrimp with Rice Noodles
3 Tbs olive oil
1/2 Large Onion
3 Tbs minced garlic
2-3 julienned carrots
1 C cut green beans
12-15 jumbo, pre-cooked shrimp (can replace with thinly sliced chicken)
1 C raw cashews
2 healthy dashes celery seed
2 shakes of caraway
3 Tbs corn starch
1 1/2 C water (or chicken/vegetable stock)
3 Tbs sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
Thin rice noodles, cooked according to package directions

1. Sautee the onions and garlic in the olive oil in a large frying pan. Once the onions are caramelized, add carrots.

2. Add the green beens. (Really, you could use any vegetables. Celery, broccoli, peppers, or asparagus all might taste good.)

3. Once the vegetables are pretty much cooked, add the shrimp, cashews, caraway and celery seeds.

4. Meanwhile, mix the corn starch, sugar, and water in a separate cup. Pour into the pan with the veggies, and stir until boiling. Boil for about 1 minute. Then add salt and pepper to taste. This is a light, mild dish, so it shouldn't need too much salt or pepper.

5. Serve over rice noodles, or over rice, for a delicious lunch or dinner.



This whole thing was really simple. Basically, you could mix whatever vegetables you want, then add any sort of seasoned corn starch and water for a light syrupy gravy.