Sometimes I play this game where I try to get A. to eat vegetables. And sometimes I just succumb to meat and carbs. Stir fry is a magical meal, because it can be many things to many people. It is fast, usually healthy, and, if you know how to handle a wok, fun to prepare.
(A quick aside before we hit the ingredients: When I received my beloved electric wok during my senior year of high school, I prepared a beautiful and delicious chicken stir-fry for my family. One of my younger brothers came up, closely sniffed the tempting food, and said, “Oohh…is this wok?”)
Now – on to the Basics of Stir-Fry, a meal even an untrained boy can handle:
protein (chicken, shrimp, NY strip steak, tofu, etc.)
veggies (pretty much anything! I love snow peas, broccoli, zucchini, carrots, onion, water chestnuts, bamboo shoots, and more…)
sauce (I’ll admit it – I usually start with those bottles of pre-made stir-fry sauces, especially the ones with a kick of heat, and then add a few fresh ingredients. You can also make your own sauce from the basic ingredients of soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, chili sauce, minced garlic, sesame or other dark oil, and brown sugar if you like it slightly sweet….I do!)
oil (sesame oil works great and will help season your wok)
Generally, you heat your oil to popping in the wok or stir-fry pan with minced garlic and add the protein, stirring (no kidding) as it quickly cooks. When the chicken is cooked through or the other proteins are nearly done, remove them from the wok and add the veggies. Cook until they are a bit tender, but let them retain some crunch. I like to marinate my protein in some sauce and garlic for an hour or so before cooking time, but it’s not necessary. You can also add as much or as little sauce at the veggie step as you like. Then you…stir it some more. It’s not rocket science, people.
The meal pictured above made my husband look adoringly into my eyes. Just straight up meat and rice, with some garden green onions for pizazz. But, unfortunately for him, I loves me some veggies.
Mmm…fresh zucchini, yellow squash, and green onions just begging to be stir-fried.
Fortunately for A., I also loves me some steak now and again.
Everyone wins. Except for maybe the cow.
Happy stirring!
Love,
Yum!! I love making stir-fry. I also use the pre-made sauces sometimes.
I have found that adding a few tablespoons of water with cooking the veggies really helps, especially when you are using broccoli. It makes it super green and beautiful.
Also, have you see the pre-packaged veggies by Dole?! It’s a stir-fry mix of broccoli, snow peas and carrots. I buy that and add an onion. It saves a lot of time.
Love the posts!!
Walmart also has several different stir fry veg. combinations that are great in the winter when you don’t have all the fresh veggies. We love stir fry here too!
Good tips, ladies! Now I’m hungry…