Instant Pot Cashew Chicken​ over Cauliflower Rice

A quicker and different cashew chicken then I have posted previously. Cashew chicken is one of my favorite meals to order when out, so I always love finding a healthier version to try and eat all week. This one did not disappoint either! But honestly, anything with cashews and I'm usually sold. Instead of sugar-free ketchup I used tomato paste, I omitted coconut sugar altogether (that is in the original recipe - link below), and after reading these Chinese Five Spice powder substitutes I decided to just purchase the spice. When I first started meal prepping I would never pick this recipe because there are a few ingredients that just aren't in your normal pantry. However, the more years of meal prep and education under my belt, the more all of these ingredients have become staples in my pantry. Do you only ever cook with one type of oil? It's time to get more variety of fats and flavor in your life!  Do you typically use soy sauce? Did you know that soy is the number one genetically modified crop in the world? Coconut aminos is a great soy sauce alternative that is gluten free, and doesn't taste like coconut one bit! Anyways, I only point those couple things out because if I had read them earlier in my journey I would probably be more open to trying those newer ingredients faster then I did. Back to the recipe though... I couldn't find plain frozen cauliflower rice at the grocery store, so I used both Green Giant® Riced Veggies Cauliflower & Sweet Potato and Green Giant® Riced Veggies Cauliflower Medley, which actually turned out pretty good all mixed together. The chicken had plenty of extra sauce to throw over top the cauliflower rice, so I just heated it up with some more sesame oil to give more flavor and fat to the meal. Overall, I really enjoyed this one and will be looking forward to eating it all week!

Instant Pot Cashew Chicken​
Ingredients:

• 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1″-1.5″ pieces
• 2 tbsp sesame oil, divided (or coconut oil)
• 1/2 cup coconut aminos
• 3 tablespoons sugar-free ketchup (I used tomato paste)
• 3 tbsp rice vinegar (I used coconut vinegar)
• 1 tbsp honey*
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 1 tbsp minced ginger
• 2 tbsp arrowroot flour, divided (this is a thickening agent, if you don't have it and don't want to buy it, just omit it!)
• 1/2 tsp Chinese Five Spice powder
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, or to taste
• 1/4 tsp salt, or to taste
• 1/4 tsp pepper, or to taste
• 2 tbsp water
• 1 cup cashews

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, combine 1 tbsp sesame oil, coconut aminos, ketchup, vinegar, coconut sugar, honey, garlic, ginger, Five Spice, and red pepper flakes. Whisk well to combine and set aside.
2. In a bowl or baggie, coat chicken pieces with 1 tbsp of the arrowroot flour, salt and pepper. Add 1 tbsp sesame oil to the bottom of the instant pot and turn it to “sauté”.
3. Allow oil to heat up and then sear for 1-2 minutes. Press “cancel” and pour the sauce into the instant pot. Stir the sauce in with the chicken to evenly distribute. Cover, set the valve to “sealing” and press “manual” and adjust the time to 10 minutes.
4. Right before the instant pot is done, combine 1 tbsp arrowroot flour with 2 tbsp water and stir well to dissolve. Once the instant pot is done, do a quick release and open the lid. Press the “sauté” button and pour the water and flour mixture into the instant pot and whisk into the sauce.
5. Add the cashews and then continue stirring until the sauce has thickened. If you’d like it thicker after 1-2 minutes, add an additional 1/2 tbsp arrowroot dissolved in 1 tbsp water. Once the sauce has thickened, add any additional salt and pepper and serve.
6. Serve over broccoli, cauliflower rice, on it’s own with a side, over spaghetti squash “lo mien” noodles, etc. Garnish with any additional cashews, green onion, or sesame seeds

Notes:
*Omit for Whole30. Optional substitutions include 3 tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice, or 1-2 medjool dates, pitted and pureed in a food processor with 1/4 cup water to help blend.
If sauce gets too thick, you can easily thin it back out again by adding a few tablespoons of water. Only do a few at a time until at your desired consistency.

Original recipe found here