Shaun White, America’s most famous snowboarder, has competed in three consecutive Winter Olympic Games. And he’s got two gold medals to show for it. Pretty remarkable if you ask me. Shaun has publicly shared that his favorite cuisine is Chinese, so I created this recipe in homage to the King of Snowboarding. This is a delicious and athlete-approved spin on the classic chicken with cashew stir-fry. I cut down on the fat by using chicken breasts instead of thighs and opted to couch this protein-packed entrée in lettuce, rather than serving it traditionally atop white rice. This way you’ve got an easy and tasty finger food recipe for your fangate.
Ingredients:
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 1/4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, chopped into 1/4-inch pieces
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 cup finely chopped green onion bulbs, plus 2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onion tops
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
- 8 ounces snow peas, ends and threads removed, thinly sliced on the diagonal (about 2 cups)
- 1 large red bell pepper, julienned (about 1 cup)
- 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
- 2 stalks celery, peeled and diced
- 1/4 cup chicken stock
- 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
- 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1/2 cup roasted cashews
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 16 Boston bibb or butter lettuce leaves
Directions:
- Heat the oil in a wok or a large skillet over high.
- Place the chicken, cornstarch, red pepper flakes, and salt in a large zip-top plastic bag, and shake to coat.
- When the oil is hot, add the chicken, and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, until the chicken turns opaque and is lightly browned. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
- Reduce the heat to medium-high. Add the green onion bulbs, garlic, ginger, snow peas, red bell peppers, onions, and celery to the wok, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring often, until tender-crisp. Transfer the vegetables to a plate.
- Stir together the chicken stock, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, and vinegar in a small bowl. Add to the wok, and stir with a wooden spoon to remove any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Reduce the heat, and simmer the sauce for 1 to 2 minutes, or until slightly thickened. Return the chicken and veggies to the wok, and toss to coat everything well. Add the green onion tops and roasted cashews, season with pepper, and toss again.
- Transfer the stir-fry to a serving bowl with a spoon. Serve with the lettuce leaves for wrapping.
About the Contributor
“Fangating™” expert and celebrity cook Daina Falk, founder of the Hungry Fan®, is author of The Hungry Fan’s® Game Day Cookbook, which includes 165 Fangating™ recipes—including 40 that she collected from Olympians and professional athletes like LeBron James, Boomer Esiason, Michael Jordan and Andre Agassi! Daina merges sports, food and entertaining (including tailgating and homegating) to celebrate and curate game day revelry like none other. Reach her online at www.HungryFan.com.
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