Tamari Almond Stir-Fry

I've been busy enough this weekend that we didn't have time to go grocery shopping like we usually do.  So until Wednesday, I'm attempting to survive on last week's groceries.  Making an almond stir-fry has been something I wanted to try for a while.  I love cashew chicken and I figured I could make something similar with the almonds I've had sitting in my cupboard for a while.

Chinese and Thai food are probably two of my favorite cuisines. I've spent a lot of time figuring out how to approximate the food so that we don't order it every time I have a craving.  I think of all my pans, my wok is the most used.

I made the sauce with tamari and low-sodium soy sauce. (Tamari is a thicker, darker, and richer soy sauce so if you don't have tamari you can substitute soy sauce.)  I make variations on this sauce with a number of different Asian ingredients (sesame oil, sriracha, black bean sauce, etc.). All of these have become staples in my pantry/fridge.

This wasn't an overly spicy dish.  But it was definitely yummy.  I want to try this again with slivered almonds (so they don't have the skin on them) and fresh green beans (to get a better crunch).  But overall, this was delicious.  I served this with white rice.  It was so quick and easy.  The rice took the longest to cook.

Recipe:
1 chicken breast, cut into bite-size slices
1 1/2 c. frozen green beans
1/2 c. whole, unsalted almonds, chopped
3 scallions, sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flake
1/4 tsp. black pepper
2 tbs. tamari
2 tbs. low-sodium soy sauce (plus a splash for the chicken)
1 tsp. spicy oyster sauce
4 tbs. chicken stock (plus more if needed to thin out sauce)
1 tsp. rice wine vinegar
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. corn starch

1. Heat a large wok over medium high heat.  Add 2 tbs. vegetable oil.  Add chicken and soy sauce to taste. Stir fry for 2-3 minutes.
2. Add garlic, crushed red pepper flake, garlic, and a handful of the sliced scallions.  Continue to stir fry for 1-2 minutes.
3. Add green beans and cover with a lid for 2-3 minutes until the green beans start to thaw.
4. Add almonds and mix well.
5. Mix tamari, soy sauce, oyster sauce, chicken stock, sugar, vinegar, and corn starch in a small bowl. Add to the wok along with the rest of the sliced scallions.
6. Mix well until the sauce thickens.  If it's too thick, add a tbs or two of chicken stock.  If too thin, continue cooking until thicker.