• Rehydrate the dried shiitake mushrooms by soaking them in warm water for 15-20 minutes, or until they are softened. Drain.
• Place onion, carrots, garlic, and ginger at the bottom of the slow cooker in a single layer. Then add in the cashews and reconstituted shiitake mushrooms.
• In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, dark soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, Chinese five spice, rice wine/dry sherry, and toasted sesame oil.
• Lightly coat the chicken with oil and season it with salt. You can put a couple of garlic cloves and ginger slices into the cavity. Depending on the size of the chicken, season it with about a tablespoon of Chinese five spice.
• Place the prepared chicken in the slow cooker, and then pour the sauce around the chicken.
• Cover, and cook on high for 4 hours, or low for 6 hours, until the chicken is fully cooked through. Once ready, you can enjoy the broth as, or thicken it into a sauce*. Serve the slow-cooked chicken and veggies with a bowl of steamed rice!

For a thicker sauce:

• In a small bowl, whisk together cornstarch and water until there are no lumps.
• Scoop out the broth (leave some behind if you want to keep for leftovers) and add it into a small saucepan. Over medium-high heat, bring the broth to a boil.
• Then slowly stir in the cornstarch mixture. Stir until fully incorporated and continue to cook for about 2-3 minutes, or until the mixture thickens. Remove from heat.
• Serve the chicken and vegetables on steamed rice. Then pour the sauce over it and enjoy!