Here I am again! Honestly, after my last recipe about the Oreo ball cookies, I’m not sure I need to continue blogging. Everyone just keeps asking me to make those cookies! But man cannot live on Oreo ball cookies alone- so here’s my peanut chicken recipe! Maybe I’m alone in this, but I am lacking a wok in my kitchen, so this recipe is for those who also lack one!

Here are the ingredients:

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil or peanut oil
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite sized pieces
• 1 bag sugar snap peas
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 can of sliced water chestnuts
• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth (I used chicken bouillon cubes for convenience)
• 2 tsp soy sauce
• 1 clove minced garlic
• 1/4 tsp ground cayenne pepper
• 1 inch ginger root, peeled and chopped
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 cup scallions, chopped
• Fresh cilantro to taste (I used about a cup of chopped leaves)
• 2 cups dry, roasted peanuts
• Dried wonton noodles (optional)

Two hints: For the ginger, use a knife to peel it instead of a veggie peeler. When you’re done with the ginger piece, put the rest in the freezer to preserve its freshness for longer. For shelling the peanuts, I tried Alton Brown’s salad spinner method (see my Homemade Peanut Butter recipe) and it worked really well! It definitely saves time and angst.

Start by cooking the chicken in a large skillet in the vegetable oil. It’s best if your skillet has high sides to prevent splashing, but if you don’t have one that’s fine! Also add the peas and the bell pepper to the chicken, and let them soften. While the chicken is cooking, mix up the broth, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, sugar, cayenne, and cornstarch. This will be the sauce for the chicken.

When the chicken is done cooking, pour the sauce over it. Also put the water chestnuts and most of the scallions and cilantro in the skillet, saving some for a garnish. Let the sauce reduce over high heat for about 5 minutes, or longer depending on how thick you want the sauce to be.

When the sauce has thickened slightly, add the peanuts in and mix until the peanuts are coated. Then, serve over white jasmine rice and garnish with the remaining cilantro, scallions, and dried noodles!

This recipe was just a whim because I had left over peanuts from making my homemade peanut butter, but it turned out to be a solid recipe for my collection. It’s a very light, tasty dish that’s full of vegetables and protein, and also full of flavor. The savory chicken broth and soy sauce glaze has incredible depth of flavor, and the vegetables and peanuts add a satisfying crunch and earthiness to the dish. And of course, who can resist the dried wonton noodles- they’re as addictive as potato chips! Happy cooking!