Stir Fry Recipe!

This weeks emphasis is on fruits and vegetables so our recipe is a simple stir fry because it's a great way to incorporate many vegetables into one dish! The great thing about stir fries is you can alter it to be what you want. For example you can use whatever vegetables you want and enjoy. You can choose to add in chicken or other meat, or you can choose to leave meat out. This recipe is very adaptable so feel free to change it so it incorporates the vegetables you want.


What you'll need:

• Wok or large skillet
• Knife
• Cutting board - We always suggest using a separate cutting board for your meats and vegetables to prevent spreading any bacteria from the meat onto the vegetables
• Measuring spoons and cups

Ingredients: 

• Various Vegetables (your choice) 
• What we used was squash, zucchini, mushrooms, onion, broccoli, carrots, peppers
• 3/4 teaspoon garlic paste
• 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon ginger paste
• 1/4 cup soy sauce (low sodium if possible)
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch + 2 tablespoons water
• 1 tablespoon sweet chili sauce 
• 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
• Crushed red pepper if desired
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more if needed
• Chicken breast or lean meat of your choice (Optional)

Directions for marinading the chicken:

1. In a small bowl combine soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, red pepper, 1/4 teaspoon and a little ginger paste
2. Cut the chicken breast into strips or bite size pieces
3. Place the chicken in a small bowl (or plastic bag) and add a few tablespoons of the marinade
4. Set aside while you prep your vegetables for the stir fry

Never made a marinade before? Check out this pervious post to learn how: Cooking Techniques

Directions for the stir fry:

1. Chop your various vegetables into bite sized pieces.
2. Add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and the sesame oil to the wok or skillet.
3. Add remainder of the garlic and ginger paste to the skillet and sauté for 30 seconds. Careful it will splatter!
4. Add the marinated chicken strips and cook till meat is no longer pink. Remove and keep warm.
5. Add vegetables in batches with longest cooking ones first and sauté over high heat till just tender. Add cooked chicken back to the wok/skillet.
6. Add the remainder of the stir fry sauce to the skillet and bring to a boil.
7. In a small bowl, mix cornstarch and water and add to the stir fry. It will thicken quickly. Remove from heat when that happens.
8. Serve with brown rice. 

Is this your first time making a stir fry? Check out this previous post to learn how: Cooking Techniques

As always feel free to leave comments or ask questions!