Asian Influenced Cashew Chicken Wraps



I am pretty sure one of my friends sold me out years ago.  I have been making this wrap for a long time but within about a year of me making it for people, I found something eerily similar added to the "New Items" section on Applebee's menu.  Therefore, the only logical explanation is that one of my friends gave my concept to the chef's responsible for creating menu selections for that chain.  I was going to sue the company, but I really enjoy their Bruschetta Chicken Pasta so it would be a shame to bring them to their knees.  (...I suppose I can work on my own version of that one next...)

I love these things.  I have always been a "wrap" kind of guy and am always looking for different ways to create new combinations.  Up to that point, I hadn't seen any "Asian-style" wraps in restaurants so I thought I was being quite innovative.  It is ridiculously easy and full of flavor plus I love the crunch you get from the cashews and chow mein noodles.  Give this sucker a try...

P.S. You may notice in my pictures that I am wearing 2 different color shirts.  If you must know, I inadvertantly knocked a wooden spoon off one of the pans and it flew back at me, richocheting off my chest.....the spoon was covered with sauce....

Cashew Chicken Wraps

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Red Onion, sliced
• 1 cup Red Pepper, sliced
• 1 cup Mushrooms, sliced
• 1 cup Zucchinni, diced
• 1# Chicken Breast, sliced
• 3/4 Cup, Cashew Slices (Plus more for sprinkling at the end)
• 1 Tbsp. Chili Garlic Sauce
• 1 Tbsp. Teriyaki Sauce
• 1/2 Tbsp. Hoisin Sauce
• Chow Mein Noodles
• 6 Grande Tortilla Shells

How To Make:

• Season the chicken with just a little salt and pepper.  In a medium saute' pan, begin to brown the chicken over medium heat until just cooked through.  In a second, larger saute pan, heat about 1-2 Tbsp. olive oil over medium heat.  Add the onions, peppers, zucchinni and mushrooms.  Stir and cook 3-4 minutes until onions just start turning translucent.  Add the cashews and cook another minute or 2 - just to let the flavors combine.  Add an extra shot of oil if the mix appears too dry.
• While vegetables are cooking, combine the chili garlic sauce, teriyaki, and hoisin in a small bowl and stir to incorporate.  Add the chicken and the sauce to the vegetables and turn heat to low.  Simmer 3-4 minutes until heated through and coated evenly.
• If your tortilla shells aren't at room temperature already, toss each in the microwave for 15 seconds just to soften and make pliable.  Spoon about 3/4 cup of the mixture into center of the tortilla. Sprinkle a few more cashews and some of the chow mein noodles over the the mix. Pull the bottom edge of the tortilla over the mix and flip over.  Fold in sides and flip again - rolling until tightly formed.  Continue with remaining shells.  (See pictures below for folding technique).
• These taste really good by themselves, but if you're looking to dip them in something, I recommend either a sweet teriyaki dipping sauce or Franks' Sweet Chili sauce.

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