Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil
6 chicken thighs

8-16 cremini mushrooms (depending on size), sliced

3/4 cup raw cashews, soaked at least 4 hours
1/2 cup water
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 cloves garlic
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cracked black pepper
1/2 cup stock (chicken or veggie)

1 tsp dried parsley

Method

1. Heat a large pan over medium-high heat. While the pan is heating, season both sides of the chicken thighs with salt and pepper.
2. Add olive oil to pan and allow it to heat until shimmering.
3. Add chicken thighs to pan. Sear for a few minutes until golden brown on one side and is no longer sticking to the pan. Flip the chicken thighs and allow to sear on the other side. Transfer chicken thighs to a plate and set aside, leaving any oil and chicken fat in the pan.
4. Add sliced mushrooms to the pan and allow to brown, stirring occasionally.
5. Meanwhile, add all of the remaining ingredients to a blender and blend until completely smooth.
6. Once mushrooms have a nice golden colour on them, add chicken thighs, the creamy sauce, and dried parsley to the pan (if there are any juices left on the plate from the chicken thighs resting, add that into the pan as well, you do not want to waste any of that flavour!)
7. Allow the sauce to heat through, stirring once or twice. Taste everything for seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste if needed/preferred.

Notes:

1. Chicken thighs keep much better in the fridge than chicken breast because of the higher fat content, so I prefer them for meal prepping. However, they can always be substituted for chicken breast. I recommend that you cut chicken breasts into even sized pieces or pound the chicken so that it is even thickness – this allows all of the chicken to be cooked through in the same amount of time, so no chicken is over- or undercooked.
2. Substitute or add any other type of mushroom that you prefer. I love cremini mushrooms in the winter because they are packed with vitamin D.
3. Serve the mushroom chicken however you like! Pictured, I served this as stroganoff with noodles. I have also enjoyed it with a side of mashed sweet potatoes and pea sprouts, and with my Purple Sweet Potato Gluten-Free Gnocchi, to add colour to the meal. This could also be eaten like chicken a la king in crispy pastries – you can even substitute cooking chicken thighs with already cooked, leftover turkey from the holidays. Use what you have!
4. You can also opt to make this dish completely vegan with tempeh, seitan, or crispy mock chick’n strips and choosing veggie stock for your sauce.