I’ve made you guys wait long enough. In my last post, we talked about the my all-purpose fresno chili sauce and you guys loved it. A lot of you pointed out that it was like peri-peri sauce. And you were of course 100% right on the money. I drew the inspiration from peri-peri chicken, which is, if you haven’t tried it, amazing. My fresno chili sauce uses a more accessible fresno chili pepper, but don’t be fooled. The sauce is every bit as good and packs a similar level of heat!

In fact, it’s so good that I had to to use it to make a one and done sheet pan dinner, complete with marinated chicken and roasted veggies. I’ve started keeping chicken marinated in the fresno chili sauce ready to go in the freezer, portioned for quick meals on days when I’m just not able to spend much time making a meal. When it comes actually assembling the sheet pan dinner, I just cut some veggies- whatever you have in the fridge is the right veggie- and toss it all together.

The chicken definitely needs some time to marinate so I like to give myself at least 4 hours for the flavors to really develop. Ideally, I like to prep the chicken the day before, because the longer the chicken sits in the sauce, the better it becomes. I like to use bone-in chicken because even after it roasts at a high temperature, it still stays pretty moist. If you end up using breasts, you’ll have to cut back the cook time for the chicken. Even more if they’re boneless chicken breasts.

Another manna and spice pro-tip: you can also marinate this chicken and GRILL it. Yasss! Roast the veggies in the oven- or grill them- and throw that chicken on the grill, now that we’re pretty close to bbq season. Just don’t forget to brush the finished pieces with some of that reserved sauce, if you like spicer chicken. And serve the sauce as a side, if you’re a spice seeking daredevil. But for me, mild or spicy, this chicken is me living my best life. Period.

Manna out. Spice is sticking around though.

Fresno Chicken Sheet Pan Dinner

★★★★★ 5 from 1 reviews

• Cook Time: 45 mins
• Total Time: 45 mins
• Yield: 6 1x

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Ingredients

• FOR THE CHICKEN:
• 6–8 bone-in, skin on chicken thighs or legs (You can use skinless if you prefer)
• 1/2 cup all-purpose fresno chili sauce + more sauce for brushing chicken and as a dipping sauce
• FOR THE VEGETABLES:
• 1 yellow bell pepper, cored and cut into large strips
• 1 red bell pepper, cored and cut into large strips
• 1 orange bell pepper, cored and cut into large strips
• 2 sweet potatoes, washed and cut into wedges
• 2 onions, peeled and cut into eights (keep the root on, it keeps the onions intact)
• 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp thyme

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Instructions

1. Wash and clean the chicken and pat dry. Toss the chicken in the fresno chili sauce and let marinate in the fridge for at least 4 hours.
2. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
3. Toss the veggies in olive oil, salt, pepper, and thyme. Spread on a sheet pan in an even layer.
4. Place pieces of chicken on the sheet pan with the veggies.
5. Roast in the oven 40-45 mins, until chicken is completely cooked. If the chicken is burning, cover loosely with a piece of foil.
6. Remove from oven and brush sauce on chicken if desired.

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Notes

*Chicken can be marinated and frozen for up to 3 months. To cook, simply thaw and follow roasting directions.
**I’ve used both skin-on and skinless chicken and they’re both equally delicious. The skin-on chicken is a little bit fattier but the skin crisps up and is delicious!

Calling all cardamom lovers. Calling all carrot halwa lovers.

Let’s take a serious walk down memory lane. I have these very vivid memories- almost touchably real- of grating fresh carrots with my mom, adding it to a world’s biggest pot, along with other magical ingredients like clarified butter and sugar, and then watching my mom stir for hours, while the carrots cooked down into the thick, syrupy, rich dessert known as gajjar ka halwa or Indian carrot pudding. Always present in these memories is my dad, waiting to steal a spoonful or two when my mom is pretending not to look. You know, to for quality control purposes he would say, as he winked at me and inhaled that spoonful.

Carrot halwa usually has an emotional connection for most people who grew up with it. It’s my apple pie- always present at the table, from weddings to religious ceremonies and everything in between. For me, carrot halwa is synonymous with my mom’s elaborately cooked meals on special occasions. The meals shared with cousins, family, and friends with a round of chai, perfectly cooked milk steeped in tea and spices, and the carrot halwa making an appearance, decked out in the finest of slivered almonds, goldenest of raisins. It’s buttery perfection in your mouth.

Personally, I wasn’t a fan of the hours of work it took to make carrot halwa. And haven’t been able to replicate the dedication of my mom- and all makers of carrot halwa- to actually produce a traditional dish. Because, I don’t have the time. And I’m not a patient person. So I started thinking about preserving the flavors of my childhood- and I suspect the same for many other people- because I crave the comfort and the magic I remember in those meals. And because I want my children to experience those moments, even if in a different form.

These cardamom spiced carrot halwa bars have been my everything from their inception.

Rewind.

CARDAMOM. SPICED. CARROT. HALWA. BARS.

Here we are, in 2018, and as dear friend put it when I texted her a preview of these bars, “It’s like gajjar ka halwa got a facelift!”

You’re right, my friend. Carrot halwa got a much needed facelift, in addition to losing a lot of the timing baggage that just wasn’t working for me. I’ve made these bars while making other meals and I didn’t need to continuously stir. These are my kinda bars. Little work with biigggggg payoff. I’ll be honest- my mom may kill me or disown me when she sees what I’ve done to her classic dessert, sorry mom!  But after she takes a bite, she’ll tell me she loves it, because who wouldn’t? Sometimes, sacrifices have to be made for the greater good.

A toasty, coconut almond crust stacked with the smoothest of fillings. And did I mention the cardamom flavor laced throughout the filling? You can see the flecks- on point! I’m a cardamom lover so I’m always up for more intensity and used a heaping two teaspoons but I’ve also been able to bring it down a notch by reducing the cardamom to 1 1/2 teaspoons if it’s not 100% your jam. And those pureed carrots? They take on this deep, caramelized sweet intensity when combined with brown sugar. In fact, it’s my cheat way of giving the bars the same deep, syrupy flavor of halwa that’s been slow-cooked and reduced for hours. If you want an even more of a cheat way around the peeling the carrots, just use a 16 oz bag of baby carrot. You’re welcome!

I can see these bars in a lot of situations:

√ springtime parties

√ bbqs/dinner parties/baby showers (how cute would these be????)

√ Thanksgiving (for sure happening at my house)

√ every. single. day. YAAAAAASSSSS, PLEASE!

I like to keep these bars in the fridge because the crust stays firm, and leave them out on the counter half an hour before serving. If the bars are totally at room temperature, the crust, although still delicious, tends to become a little bit softer, and not hold together as well. They have a shelf life of about a week in the fridge but good luck trying to keep them away from everyone that long. They were a eat-a-bar-then-go-back for seconds and thirds sort of situation. So much so that I had to make another batch to send to The Mister’s office because all of a sudden twenty four bars went down down to twelve. Ooops!

Friends, make them, try them, love them, and then tell me all about them by tagging me on Instagram, as you’re showing off these bars to the world.

Cardamom Spiced Carrot Halwa Bars

• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 60 mins
• Total Time: 1 hour 15 mins
• Yield: 24 1x

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Ingredients

• For the crust:
• 1 cup coconut flour
• 1 cup almond flour
• 6 tbsp melted butter
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• For the filling:
• 2 cups carrots, peeled and cut into fourths (a 16 oz bag of baby carrots is also fine for easier prep)
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar (dark or light)
• 2 tsp ground cardamom (reduce to 1 1/2 tsp for milder flavor)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
• 3 large eggs
• 2 tbsp corn starch
• 3–4 tbsp crushed almonds to sprinkle on top (optional)

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a 9×13 baking pan with parchment paper or grease lightly.
2. Steam or boil the carrots until fully cooked and tender. Puree until completely smooth. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients for the crust and mix well together. press evenly into 9×13 pan and bake for 10 minutes.
4. While the crust is baking, combine pureed carrots with white sugar, brown sugar, salt, nutmeg, cardamom. Whisk in vanilla extract and whipping cream. Add in, one egg at a time. Stir in the cornstarch until the filling is smooth no lumps remain.
5. Pour filling into pan, on top of crust, garnish with crushed almonds (if using) and return pan to oven and bake for 45-50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
6. Cool completely and refrigerate for 1-2 hours, until crust is firm before cutting into squares.
7. Keep bars refrigerated to maintain firm crust. Remove from fridge 30 minutes before serving to bring the bars slightly up to temperature.
8. Store in an airtight container, in the fridge, for up to 1 week (if they last that long!).

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I was strong-armed into making this dip. Like really coaxed into “recipe testing for the Super Bowl because don’t you want to give the people what they want?”

“The people” being The Mister.  And I acquiesced even at the eleventh hour, when you may already have your menu set. But please, amend it to include what I’m happy to report, is a crowd pleaser. Because The Bookworm came downstairs, realizing that she was “sooooo thirsty” at 9PM but really it was to see if she could catch a sample of whatever made her nose insist she come downstairs to check out the happenings of parent world once the kids go to bed. But most importantly, you have The Mister to thank for this one.

P.S. this is not a sponsored post by the mister.

This Bad Hombre Dip broke down the walls I built over the years to keep out things like queso in a jar because it’s queso in a jar and doesn’t give me the feels. But this Bad Hombre Fiesta Dip is loaded with all of the things that WILL make queso great again.

√ Taco meat (yes please!)

√ the cheesy goodness of monterey jack

√ crispy, crispy fried jalapenos, say whaaaaaaaa????

√ perfectly tender aromatic veggies

√ the perfect level of spice- the kind that just builds up and lingers over time, doesn’t quite bring you to the verge of tears but you love that tease, admit it

If one pot/pan wonders are your friend, then my friend, welcome to my world. I love that I can make this entire dip in 20 minutes, in a single pan. Because let’s face it, who wants to do all those dishes? In fact, I just brought the entire pan to the counter and The Mister and I ate this with chips for dinner and washed it all down with seltzer water. Because the only legit way to eat chips with dip is hovering over a counter, and using tortilla chips to scoop up obscene amounts of queso. That’s the real queso life.

Let’s have a fireside chat though. I know I’ve pushed a lot of whole30 and paleo recipes in the last year, no take backs, no regrets. If you’ve been following me on instagram, you’ll know that I just finished off a round of whole30. I was originally going to continue onward but realized that I needed to be able to find a happy medium. That’s actually one of my weaknesses- balance but I’m working to become more middle ground. Whole30 was fantastic as a system cleanse for me and I will continue to eat whole veggies and no refined sugar added foods as much as possible along with lean meats. That’s my ideal plate right there. But there will be times when I want to indulge and this queso dip is one of those times. So I planned ahead. I made sure I ate simple but healthy, and filling meals for breakfast and lunch. And for dinner, I decided I would have the queso and I would eat a reasonable amount because balance. And if I was still hungry after that, I had a backup, whole30 compliant salad ready to go. But that’s real life. Zero regret and zero guilt.

Back to this queso. I’ll be honest, when The Mister texted me a recipe for a “cheeseburger dip” using these crispy fried jalapenos, I wasn’t feelin’ it. I decided instead to turn it into a spicy taco something because tacos are life. And I’ve been looking for an excuse to use this high quality taco seasoning blend I got from Primal Palate. This isn’t a paid advertisement, I just really love their fresh blend of spices and their taco seasoning is legit. Plus it cuts the work I have to do, so hey, major win! Feel free to use whatever taco seasoning you have on hand though but if you get the chance, try out their stuff!

Now the really important stuff and the question that’s probably burning in your mind; why is it called bad hombre dip?

Since this dip was inspired by The Mister and his midwestern love of all things dip related, he would have the honor of naming the dip. And he came up with bad hombre dip. I mean, I have to admit, it’s a catchy name. That’s the entire story. And this bad hombre dip is the stuff of football fandom so go ahead and indulge! Might I suggest, pairing it with homestyle chili, basic baked plantain chips, and baked honey sriracha wings? And for dessert: brownies, of course!

What’s on your menu? Share your Manna & Spice creations and tag me on instagram!

Bad Hombre Dip

• Prep Time: 5 mins
• Cook Time: 15 mins
• Total Time: 20 mins

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Ingredients

• 1 lb ground beef
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 tsp taco seasoning (more if you like it bolder)
• 1/2 tsp salt (if needed or your taco seasoning is salt-free)
• 2 tbsp oil (I use olive oil but you can use any oil you’re comfortable with)
• 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 2 cups milk
• 1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1 yellow onion, peeled and chopped
• 1 jalapeno pepper., seeded and diced
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
• 8 oz shredded pepper jack cheese*
• 1/2 cup French’s fried jalapeños**

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Instructions

1. Heat oil in a large cast iron pan or skillet on medium heat.
2. Add onions, pepper, jalapeno, and garlic and saute until tender, about 10 minutes.
3. Increase the heat to high and add ground beef and taco seasoning and stir to combine and brown the meat. Add the tomato paste and let simmer for 1 minute. Sprinkle in flour and incorporate fully.
4. Reduce heat to medium and add in milk and cook until the mixture starts bubbling, about 2 minutes.
5. Remove from heat and fold in 1/4 cup of the fried jalapeños and cheese until cheese is fully melted. Top with remaining jalapeños and serve hot with tortilla chips.

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Notes

* I used pepper jack because I like the spiciness but you can use monterey jack cheese for a milder flavor or a good melting cheese, not mozzarella.
**Not a paid advertisement

The Superbowl is this Sunday. Did you know that? I’ve been reminded every waking minute by EVERY SINGLE PERSON in I come across in New England. Football is a religion here, no joke. P.S. Don’t ever, ever criticize the New England Patriots. And don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Superbowl Sunday is more about food for me than the football. Actually, it’s ALL about the food and not about football at all. Because when you’re eating things like baked honey sriracha wings, homestyle chili, bbq chicken pizza ring, or even cheeseburger pizza who cares what team is winning? I’ll be saving my emotions for This Is Us because priorities, man. Priorities. But while I wait out the game, I’ll be munching on my plantain chips with perhaps some guac and some spicy salsa.

I’ve known that plantains chips existed for a long time but I’ve never been a fan because they’re usually fried and have this weird, filmy greasy taste at the end. You know what I’m talking about? But my kids love them. In fact, Little Man polished off an entire bag, I’m talking FULL, previously sealed bag, of spicy plantain chips during a 20-minute car ride. I had no idea he loved them so much. So imagine how excited he was when he saw me pull a couple of baking sheets loaded with plantain chips out of the oven.  I could barely hold him off while I was taking pictures for this recipe. Not even kidding.

The moment, I set them on the counter and said the chips were ready to eat, everyone descended down and polished most of the plate off. So much for serving them with dinner, let alone storing time for snacking later in the week. Little Man was on his tiptoes every 30 seconds, as he “passed by” the kitchen, grabbing chips. And I didn’t stop him because, secretly, I thought it was adorable.

These chips are:

√ baked, not fried so they’re healthier (amiright?)

√ crispy and crunchy so you don’t miss the chips

√ basic, without being plain, but begging to be customized

√ addictive- you’ve been warned

These chips may be basic but they do basic so well. Like really well. In fact, these plantain chips are basic goals. I intentionally left the chips basic because they are the perfect starting point. I love them basic but can definitely get behind sprinkling them with:

√ taco seasoning

√ garam masala

√ sea salt and a squeeze of lime

√ cinnamon sugar, maybe?

√ parmesan and parsley (yum!)

Okay, I’ll stop saying basic now.

Plantains, because they’re so firm, can be challenging to cut. I like to use a sharp knife and cut the ends off. Then I make a vertical slit down the middle of the plantain and use my fingers to peel apart the skin, until the skin is fully removed. You can also cut the plantain in half and peel it that way to make things easier. Try to get green plantains that are blemish free. If I let them sit on the counter for more than a day two, they start developing black spots and being to ripen and during this mid stage, they become harder to peel.

Even though I’m always scared I’m going to slice my thumb off, I use a mandolin to slice the plantains into thin, uniform pieces. The same can be accomplished with a sharp knife– use whatever you’re most comfortable with and don’t sweat it if they slices aren’t fully uniform. Just thinking about the long game. You’ll be relaxing and dipping these chips into your favorite guac and salsa. Let the games begin!

You’ll want to make sure you keep an eye on these chips as they bake. I bake for 10 minutes on one side and then flip them and bake for another 8-10 minutes, keeping a close eye starting at the 8 minute marker. Depending on how hot your oven gets, they be done closer to the 8 minute mark or may need a couple of more minutes. Use your judgement.

The other thing I strongly encourage you to do is to line your baking sheet with parchment paper. I have found that the chips stick to both the pan’s surface and aluminum foil, but when I use parchment paper, I’m able to slide them right onto my plate without any problems.

As I enter the final week of my whole30 round, I actually love the way I feel and a part of me just wants to keep going. I haven’t decided yet if I will continue on or add back a very selective group of foods I wasn’t eating. But ideally, I’d like to stay on track with this lifestyle, save a few treats here and there. These baked plantain chips happen to fit into my whole30 lifestyle. Yes, they’re addictive, which is why I prefer to have a handful with a meal and treat it as a part of my meal, rather than as a mindless snacking replacement for potato chips. But I think I’ll make an exception this time and indulge a little bit but still keep on track of healthyish eating. If the teenage me met the now me, she would be in utter shock!

Basic Baked Plantain Chips

• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 20 mins
• Total Time: 30 mins

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Ingredients

• 3 large green plantains, peeled and sliced as thin as possible (I used a mandolin)
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 3 tbsp avocado oil (or oil of your choice)
• 1/4 tsp chili powder (optional)

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease. (parchment paper works best)
3. In a large bowl, toss the raw plantain slices with the salt, oil and chili powder until evenly coated.
4. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and flip chips and return to oven and bake another 7-10 minutes, until crispy and lightly browned. Keep a close eye on the chips because they burn very quickly.
5. Remove from oven and sprinkle with more kosher salt if desired. Let cool.
6. Serve with gauc and salsa or your favorite dips.

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It’s mid-week. Hump Day. I just can’t life today.

It’s that time of the week where you stayed up last night, later than you should have, catching up (or binge watching) on your Netflix faves, because you need to unwind. Then the alarm goes off in the morning, to go the gym and you hit the snooze button 15 times, only to finally admit that gym+you is just not a reality today. And you’ve made your peace with that. The only redeeming quality of today is cashew stir-fry and all its yumminess, because on wednesdays, you deserve extra self-care for having make it through the gloomy mid-week hump.

I just ate last night’s cashew chicken stir leftovers for lunch. Like literally right now. And my Hump Day just got a whole lot better.

Friends, I have rekindled my love affair with stir-fry. Because why wouldn’t I love the convenience of a 20-MINUTE MEAL with the comforty flavors of takeout without actually ordering takeout and feeling that bloat afterward (hellllooooooooo, soy sauce)? I’m been pressed for time lately, with the kids back in school- homework to be completed and checked, lunches to pack, tests to study for, and of course, tales of drama from the playground. Who actually has time to cook anymore?

So I’ve returned to my old friend, the underrated stir-fry. And what better way to get reaquainted than with a cashew chicken stir-fry? This cashew chicken stir-fry is proof that chicken and cashews are made for each other, especially in the company of their bight veggie friends, like broccoli, bell pepper, and carrots. The vegetables are tender but crispy, flavorful in a light sauce (you can always double the recipe for extra sauciness), and toasty, crunchy cashews, which bring their own unique, crunch.

The cashews: cashews are be my favorite nut– step aside almonds. They’re mild, buttery, and underused. I usually get them raw and unsalted, store them in the freezer (always store nuts in the freezer to prevent the oils from spoiling). Depending on the recipe, you can dry roast and salt lightly with sea salt or go all in and pan “fry” them with a little bit of coconut oil, like I did for this stir fry. The result: an aromatic blend of coconut oil and cashew nut oil. You may have to toast more so you don’t continue munching on them as you prep your dinner. SO GOOD!

The veggies: I used to struggle to get more veggies into my diet. It’s not that I don’t like them because I ❤ them. I just don’t like the visual of overcooked veggies, but stir-fry changes that sentiment. I used onions, red and green bell peppers, and broccoli. I wanted to shave some ribbons of carrots into the stir-fry but my vegetable peeler broke the other day and I haven’t actually gone to the store to replace it, yet. But thank you amazon prime, I’ll be back in business tomorrow, *fingers crossed*. You can easily clean out your fridge and use whatever vegetables you have on hand, or leave out any vegetables you don’t like. Like that forgotten bag of matchstick carrots you got for stir-fries (oops!)

The sauce: This sauce seems like it has some hard to find ingredients, but you can easily substitute with what you do have, if you’re not on a whole30 or paleo diet. I used coconut aminos because I’m on round two of whole30 but you can sub in soy sauce, ounce for ounce. Coconut aminos is a sugar and soy-free alternative for traditional soy sauce, and given that whole30 and paleo diets do not allow refined sugar or soy, this is the closest alternative and a must-have for paleo and whole30 kitchens.  I love garlic chili paste and it can be found at most major grocery stores these days. Just make sure it doesn’t have any of the ingredients on the “don’ts” list for whole30 or paleo. Another good everyday substitute is sriracha. And I LOVE sriracha– If you’re a fan like I am, give these wings a try! I could drink this sauce- it had to bribe myself with toasted cashews to leave enough sauce for the actual stir-fry.

The chicken: Chicken breast is my go-to protein. It’s lean, cooks relatively quickly, and is a blank canvas because you can season it however you want, without getting in the way of the taste of chicken. It’s also bland unless you season properly. So season, season, season! I also only had chicken breast on hand but this recipe would work very well with chicken thighs too. Or a mix of both. Or dare I suggest pan-fried tofu? Insert gasp emoji. The most important element to keeping the chicken flavorful is to season with salt and pepper (remember that season, season, season cheer I just did?) and coating it with arrowroot powder/cornstarch and cooking it in a little bit of fat to both brown the chicken and get a crust on the pieces so the chicken stands up to the crispy veggies. Don’t worry about the bits and pieces that get stuck to your pan; the moisture released from the veggies will deglaze the pan naturally.

So go ahead. Win dinner tonight, pack some for lunch tomorrow (or just eat it all tonight, right out of the pan). Me? I’m gonna give this going to bed on time thing a try tonight and report back later.

Cashew Chicken Stir-Fry

★★★★★ 5 from 4 reviews

• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 10 mins
• Total Time: 20 mins
• Yield: 6 1x

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Ingredients

• [br]For the stir-fry:
• 1 ½ lbs. chicken breast, cut into bite size pieces
• 2 onions cut into bite size pieces
• 1 red pepper cut into bite size pieces
• 1 green pepper cut into bite size pieces
• 1 cup button mushrooms, sliced
• 2 cups broccoli florets
• ½ cup cashews+2 tbsp. cashew halves for garnish
• 2 tbsp. arrowroot powder (or 1 tbsp cornstarch)
• 2 tbsp. coconut oil or oil with high smoking point
• ½ tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. black pepper
• For the sauce:
• ¼ cup coconut aminos/soy sauce
• 1/2 cup vegetable or chicken broth
• 2 tbsp. white vinegar
• 1 tbsp arrowroot powder (or ½ tbsp. cornstarch)
• 1 tsp garlic chili paste, if using (whole30 compliant)
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tsp. grated ginger

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Instructions

1. Make the sauce: combine coconut aminos/soy sauce, vinegar, broth, chili paste, garlic, and ginger. Whisk together and sprinkle in arrowroot powder/cornstarch, until completely dissolved. Set aside.
2. Toast and chop the cashews: heat 1 tbsp. of oil in a heavy bottomed pan or wok over medium high heat. Add cashews and “fry” until cashews are golden brown. Remove from pan and set aside to cool. Once cool, chop all but 2 tbsp. cashews and set aside.
3. Cook the chicken: in a medium bowl, toss chicken with salt, pepper, and arrowroot powder/cornstarch, coating chicken well. Add chicken in a single layer into the pan/wok and brown all sides over high heat. Cook chicken until center is no longer pink and juices run clear. Remove from pan and set aside.
4. Cook the veggies: Heat remaining tbsp. of coconut oil in pan/wok, on high heat. Add veggies and toss to coat. Stir evenly, and continue cooking until veggies are tender but still crispy. Add the chicken back into the pan with the veggies, along with the chopped cashews. stir all ingredients together. Reduce heat to medium. Drizzle in the sauce evenly. The sauce will bubble up and thicken up. Remove from heat. Serve over rice, cauliflower, or by itself.

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Notes

If you like saucier stir-frys, double the sauce. The recipe as written has a light coating of sauce but sometimes I double it if I’m serving with rice.

If you’re following a whole30 or paleo diet, make sure you use ingredients without soy, wheat, sugar, or any of the ingredients on the “off-limits” list.