Looking for some more easy summer dishes? Here's one that I think will be enjoyed quite often this summer! That's because with stir fry the veggies are cooked at a super high heat, which cooks them very fast! Other than prep time you're hardly spending any time actually "cooking".
And I know you know that I love my short cuts... taking a short cut here we bought a frozen package of stir fry vegetables (from Trader Joe's, but most groceries should have this). It's chocked full of pea pods, bean sprouts, bamboo shoots, soybeans, water chestnuts, carrots and mushrooms. And then to that we added fresh broccoli. (Whick veggies do YOU use for a stir fry?)
Next we move on to making our stir fry sauce... it's a combination of soy sauce, chicken stock, rice vinegar, red pepper flakes, corn starch and dark sesame oil (not pictured here). Oh, how forgetful am I?! I forgot to buy more when doing this post... so instead I used a touch of canola oil - and of course it didn't quite taste the same. But it worked out alright... next time, there's always next time.
The ingredients were whisked together in a little bowl and the corn starch added.
Here's an interesting fact about corn starch - it thickens when it gets hot. So be prepared for the corn starch to settle at the bottom of the cute little bowl... you can whisk it up again real quick before adding it to the heat.
And we're ready to stir fry... since stir fry is a quick process I've gotten in the habit of lining up all the players so they are ready for use: frozen stir fry vegetable mix, broccoli bites, and our "house chicken" (sliced/cooked - which we'll cover in another blog post)...
Heat the oil up, over medium-high to high heat... and add those veggies. (Please note - after eating this dish I wish I would have cooked the broccoli a little more. So, the recipe below is written to let the broccoli cook for a few minutes by themselves before adding the frozen veggies.)
Isn't that beautiful?! Yes, the pan will sizzle when the veggies are added... that's the sound you're looking for! You want it to be hot, hot, hot... (kind of like it is right now, outside... UNLIKE how it is as I sit inside typing away in my air conditioned house! Ahhh.... )
Keep moving the veggies around the pan, stirring/tossing frequently. They will cook for about 6-8 minutes total...
And then the sauce and the chicken is added... remember, as the sauce heats up it thickens up. It will also soak into the veggies and chicken... and it's oh so yummy!!!
Stir it around... and when the chicken has heated through it's ready to serve up!
We enjoy ours with brown rice, a touch more soy sauce and a sprinkle of sesame seeds to top it off.
Chicken and Vegetable Stir Fry
Recipe courtesy Lori Tisdale
Ingredients
¼ cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons cornstarch
½ teaspoon dark sesame oil
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper (or more, to taste)
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 cups fresh broccoli, cut into small bite-size pieces (by volume)
8 ounces frozen vegetable stir fry mix (by weight)
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 10 oz, cooked and sliced)
Instructions
In a small bowl whisk together chicken broth, rice vinegar, soy sauce, corn starch, sesame oil and crushed red pepper. Set aside.
Add 1 tablespoon canola oil to hot sauté pan (or wok) over high heat. Add broccoli, sauté for about 2-3 minutes; tossing pan regularly to coat and evenly cook broccoli. Add the vegetable stir fry mix and continue to saute for another 5-6 minutes. (If using fresh vegetables reduce cooking time appropriately.)
Stir broth mixture one more time to make sure corn starch is completely mixed in and add to pan. Simmer for about 30 seconds; add chicken. Reduce heat and stir until chicken is warmed through
Serve with brown rice, a touch more soy sauce and a sprinkle of sesame seeds on top.
enjoy your time in the kitchen...
No comments:
Post a Comment