Cashew Chick’n
Few things will force you to find ways to make food that is both fast and tasty than having six kids! I speak from experience, but this recipe comes from a fellow mom of 6. Ali Essig had six kids 8 and under, including twin babies when her husband had a stroke at 37. She had already had some understanding of the power of a plant-based diet to prevent and reverse disease, and it was time to go all in on making it happen in order to give her husband the best opportunity to recover and prevent a future episode.
She took one of their family’s favorite recipes, Cashew Chicken, and swapped in chickpeas for the chicken. Everyone still loved it and it’s a go-to for her to make for not just her family but any friends or family who might be in need of a meal.
In fact, it was one of the first meals I made post baby when I was still recovering and getting back into the swing of things in the kitchen. Even better, I hadn’t planned ahead, but rather looked at the recipe and decided I had just about everything I needed to make it. It was quick, delicious, and something we look forward to having again soon!
How to Make Cashew Chick’n
That’s IT! It can be so easy to get caught thinking that plant-based eating has to be a lot of time and a lot of work, but when you think about just how much easier it is to open a can of chickpeas instead of dealing with raw chicken . . . this recipe is perfect!
Is Oyster Sauce Vegan?
I can hear a few of you cringing, pointing out that oyster sauce is clearly not made from plants!
First, I applaud Ali for taking a recipe their family loved, making dramatic improvements by swapping in the chickpeas and not stressing about making it 100% perfect. This is exactly what it takes to make a transition both doable and lasting, and a little bit of sauce spread out over the whole family is not going to have nearly the impact as swapping the main ingredient.
But if you don’t already have oyster sauce on hand, do you need to go buy it for this recipe? Absolutely not. Turns out you can get vegetarian oyster sauce that recreates that salty umami flavor using mushrooms, and you can also find some recipes online to make your own if you’re feeling ambitious.
Or, you can do what I did and swap in one of several similar ingredients you likely already have on hand. The easiest swap is soy sauce (or tamari or coconut aminos for gluten-free). I had some hoisin sauce on hand and used that with great results. Teriyaki sauce would also be great. Hoisin sauce and Teriyaki are pretty sweet and so wait before adding the sugar to taste. Of course these will all yield a slightly different flavor, but this recipe is so quick and easy you’ll want to make it regularly and find your favorite combination!
| Prep Time | 15 minutes |
| Cook Time | 10 minutes |
| Servings |
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- 1 onion chopped
- 1 red or yellow bell pepper chopped
- 2-3 cloves Cloves Garlic crushed
- 1 can chickpeas (garbanzo beans) drained and rinsed
- 1/4 cup oyster sauce see notes
- a few shakes red pepper to taste
- 4 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp vegetable boullion paste or 1 cube
- 2/3 cup water
- 1 cup cashews
- 1 handful chopped spinach or kale
- 2-3 green onions chopped
Ingredients
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- First, get your brown rice going. I love doing this in my Instant Pot - 3 cups rice, 4 cups water and 25 minutes at high pressure.
- Next, sauté chopped onion, bell pepper and garlic in a splash or two of water.
- After a few minutes when veggies are beginning to soften, add your drained and rinsed chickpeas, oyster sauce (see notes in post), red pepper flakes, sugar, vegetable bouillon, and water. Cook for a few more minutes until heated through but veggies are crisp tender. Add spinach, cashews and green onion and serve over brown rice.
Look for vegetarian oyster sauce or use soy, teriyaki or hoisin sauce instead.