Stir-Fry

I am a sucker for Asian food, and it's so easy to make at home that I do quite often. Flipping through a Betty Crocker cookbook last weekend, I came across a recipe for vegetable fried rice, and my brain made the leap to stir-fry. It's easy, healthy, and-- more importantly-- delicious!

Published with Blogger-droid v1.4.1

I started by slicing some chicken into two-bite-sized pieces. I cut two chicken breasts for the two of us, and we ended up with a serving left over, so ultimately, I think we ended up eating 3/4 of a breast each. I threw/plopped the chicken pieces into a bowl and added about three tablespoons of low-sodium soy sauce. To be honest, I didn't measure; I trickled it in until the all the chicken could be coated and take on a dark color. I added a teaspoon or so of chopped ginger and a sprinkle of garlic powder and fresh cracked pepper. I stirred it all together, covered it in plastic wrap, and set it aside in the fridge for an hour or two. If you don't have the time to let it sit, feel free to cook it right away.

I chose to use a chicken fryer, because it's a deep, wide pan, big enough for me to toss the stir-fry. Certainly if you've got a wok, use it. If you've got pots but no wok or chicken fryer, use the widest-bottom pot you've got to give yourself some surface area.

(I should mention that before I started the stir-fry, I put on a pouch of almost-instant rice. I have no patience to wait for 45-minute rice, so I buy the $.69 pouches at Hannaford. I used wild rice for this meal, but any rice you like is perfect.)

I coated the bottom of the pan with a little canola oil (which, incidentally, is as good for you as olive oil but WAY cheaper). I tossed in the chicken and let it start working. I added large chunks of onion, chopped broccoli (on sale at Hannaford this week!), frozen peas, canned mushrooms (way cheaper than fresh), and a cup or so of water. The soy sauce tends to grow stronger in flavor when it's cooked, so the water stretches it out a little and doesn't leave you feeling like you've consumed a bowl of salt after you're done eating. Let this work in the pan until the chicken is cooked and the liquid is almost completely evaporated. I covered mine, and this process took about twenty minutes, just enough time for my rice to finish.

What I love about stir-fry is that you can throw in whatever you like/have in the crisper. I adore stir-fry with carrots, I've eaten it with mini-corn-on-the-cob, and I've made it with a little cabbage or bok choy. The idea is to infuse the meat and veggies with a simple sauce, which you can jazz up with any seasoning you like. In fact, my husband loves his food hot, so I drizzled some hot sauce into his bowl.

Stir-fry is a simple, fast, and delicious addition to anyone's cooking repertoire. I hope you'll give it a try with fork in hand.