Cashew Chicken with Sesame Garlic Sauce

I'm back...did you miss me? :) I missed you guys, but had a great time in Columbus, Ohio with my daughter and the other cheer parents. On our down time, we spent some time strolling the North Market; where I found some new spices I can't wait to experiment with and did a little shopping at Easton Town Center. The parent get togethers for lunch and dinner are always fun with a lots of laughs and thanks to a few recommendations, we had some great meals at Pasqualones, Barcelona, and Northstar Cafe.

And of course, we spent plenty of time soaking up the last time our senior girls would perform at a national competition. They did fantastic and after two days of competing, they took 2nd Place in their division!

Anyway, enough about my little break. For today's new recipe, I'm sharing Cashew Chicken with Sesame Garlic Sauce. Now, if you follow along here on the blog regularly, you know I don't usually purchase pre-made sauces because they're generally very high in sodium. However, when grocery shopping recently I came across a new line of sauces by Iron Chef and the Sesame Garlic version caught my eye. I don't make a lot of Asian food at home; nor do I eat it out that often. Occasionally when I am in the mood, I opt for some Eggdrop Wonton mixed soup or Moo Goo Gai Pan in a Brown Sauce (which is just some steamed chicken and vegetables).

So when I saw this sauce, I figured I'd make a quick stir fry with it one night for dinner. I mean after all, if you're going to use a soy or teriyaki sauce anyway, might as well use a pre-made one as they all contain a lot of salt. The sauce had a little bit of a kick, but it wasn't too overpowering for my palate (I don't like things that are too spicy) and I liked how quick it was to make this. Just put all of your ingredients in one pan and dinner is served! The family really liked my version of Cashew Chicken with Sesame Garlic Sauce and I served it over some brown rice and had enough for leftovers the next day too.  ~Enjoy!

Heading to Ohio

Hi Everyone! 

I just wanted to let you know that there will be no new posts here at Carrie's Experimental Kitchen for a few days. Our oldest daughter is competing in her last National Cheering Competition in Ohio this weekend. It's truly bittersweet and after 12 years of carting her from practices to football and basketball games and competitions, I can't believe it's over. It goes so quickly!

I'll be there cheering the girls on, so join me in wishing them luck. They've had so many ups and downs this season between taking last place to winning first place and grand champions throughout the season that any extra positive thoughts can't hurt. 

I'll be posting pics on my Instagram, Twitter and Facebook if you want to follow along. Until then, I'll see you back here on Tuesday, February 25th with a brand new recipe to share! 

xo Carrie

Tuscan-Style Beef Brisket

Growing up, beef brisket was not something we normally ate in our home. The first time I made this dish was about seven or eight years ago when I got tired of cooking the same standard roasts that we would always make for holidays or Sunday dinners.  Luckily for me, my family likes to try new things. In fact, every holiday or family gathering, my husband insists that there is at least one new item on the menu. 

I originally posted this recipe back in July 2011 along with a recipe for potato pancakes, but recently opened up my cookbook during one of our many recent homebound snowstorms and made this Tuscan-Style Beef Brisket again.  The recipe is simple with a paste of fresh garlic and rosemary and sits in a bath of red wine and beef broth; which make a flavorful au jus when served. I've made this recipe several times now over the years and it comes out perfectly every time. ~Enjoy!