Cashewless Crockpot Cashew Chicken

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First off, I take no credit for the brilliance of this recipe what-so-ever.  All the credit goes to one of my new favorite food blogs Six Sisters' Stuff.

I am trying to find more "real food" options for dinners.  Having been on a diet of sorts for 9 months, I have gotten in the rut of eating the same foods, every day, and they arent necessarily the greatest foods.  Pretty much turkey burger patties, peanut butter sandwiches on whole wheat bread, protein bars, kix cereal.  Lather, rinse, repeat.  Yea.  I know.  Yum, right?  Well frankly, I am so sick of not having a "real" meal for dinner, like one that consists of more than a turkey patty on a plate with ketchup and no bun or anything else, that this is now one of my goals--To either come up with a new, well balanced dinner meal most nights, or make one that someone else has created.  This week has gone better.  With my husband gone until pretty much dinner time four days a week, I also find joy in having a (hopefully) delicious, nutritious, homemade meal more or less on the table when he gets home.

This recipe was posted this week by Six Sisters' Stuff blog, and it was originally called Crockpot Cashew Chicken.  I don't have cashews, and I am not sure my husband would like the texture in it, so I omitted them.  I also decided to forgo breading and browning the chicken, so I just threw the frozen chicken breasts in there and the sauce ingredients and called it good.  Cuts back on a few calories, (and I am lazy) and made it truly a one pot dinner.  I used frozen chicken breasts, doubled the sauce components (a must) and threw it all in the crock pot.  My house smells phenomenal, and I must say, it was a mouth wateringly tasty dish.  Perfect balance of sweet, savory, and spicy.  I made it over quinoa since it apparently has so many wonderful dietary benefits.  I do love the taste.  It went fantastic.  I am sure it would be just as good over rice or even pasta.

Ok, enough blabbering, on to the good part.  Here is the recipe! (As they wrote it, omit cashews as desired).

Slow Cooker Cashew Chicken (See it here at Six Sisters' Stuff)

Ingredients:

2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thigh tenders or chicken breast tenders*

1/4 cup all purpose flour (omit if not breading)
1/2 tsp black pepper (omit if not breading)
1 Tbsp canola oil (omit if not breading)
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
2 Tbsp ketchup
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger (I used 1/4 tsp dried)
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 cup cashews (omit if desired)

Directions:

1. Combine flour and pepper in large Ziploc bag. Add chicken. Shake to coat with flour mixture. (Skip if not breading)
2.  Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Brown chicken about 2 minutes on each side. (Skip if not breading)
3. (Here is where I started) Place chicken in slow cooker. Combine soy sauce, vinegar, ketchup, sugar, garlic, ginger, and pepper flakes in small bowl; pour over chicken. 
4. Cook on LOW for 3 to 4 hours (I did high for 6 hours, it is just me and the timing I had). 
5. Add cashews and stir (optional, if you don't want them).
6. Serve over rice, quinoa, or pasta. 
7. Makes 4-6 servings.

*If you like sauce and want to have some to pour over the chicken and the rice, double the sauce ingredients.