Chicken Stir Fry

Chicken Stir Fry with Jasmine Rice

This is a weeknight staple in our household. I always have frozen chicken breasts on hand, as well as plenty of leftover vegetables. This is a pretty standard version, but I’ve made this stir fry with all sorts of different vegetables – really whatever I’ve got in the refrigerator. I also mix-up the sauce quite a bit. Because of my affinity for Asian cooking, I usually have a multitude of sauces around, everything from sweet chili sauce to black pepper bean curd. If you have to choose just one, go with Teriyaki- it’s always a hit. You could certainly make this dish with pork, or beef, shrimp and/or scallops or even tofu for a vegetarian version. Cutting up the meat and vegetables is certainly the most time consuming aspect of this dish – yes, you can cheat and buy pre-cut vegetables. In fact, in this version, I did use shredded carrots – that’s right, straight from the bag- because I had them around from when I made coleslaw the lazy way. Everyone in my family, except the dog, who meticulously picks them out of his bowl, likes water chestnuts, so I always have a can or two on hand. Lizzie pitches a fit if I don’t include baby bok choy, and since I’ve got my awesome supplier at the weekend market, I usually have that in the veg drawer. Garlic is a must, unless, of course you don’t like it, and I usually include some sort of onion (green, sweet, red, shallot – whatever I’ve got). Following the recipe, I’ve included a list of vegetables that I’ve used in the past, as well as some sauces you can use. One tip that I’ve learned over the years is that if you want to be able to slice raw meat thinly, put it in the freezer for an hour or two. If you’re starting with fully frozen meat, let it defrost for maybe an hour. You may find that your knife dulls a little more quickly, but that’s what sharpeners are for.  (Serves 5-6)

INGREDIENTS: (as pictured)

• 3 Large Chicken Breasts – trimmed and thinly sliced
• 1 – 1.5 Cups Broccoli florets
• 1 Cup Carrots, cut into 1″ matchsticks
• 1/2 Onion – sliced into thin rounds and then cut into 1″ lengths
•  2-3 Cups Baby Bok choy – separated into leaves
• 3/4 Cup Celery – chopped
• 1 Can Sliced Water Chestnuts
• 4 Cloves of Garlic – finely chopped
• 3 TBS. Sesame Oil
• 1/2 cup Teriyaki Sauce
• 1/4 Cup Hoisin Sauce
• 1 tsp. Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
• 2-3 TBS. Corn Starch

INSTRUCTIONS:

Prepare chicken and vegetables (cut into sizes as directed above). Heat sesame oil in a wok or deep saute pan over medium heat. Add garlic and saute until fragrant – monitor heat, do not allow garlic to burn. Add chicken and stir fry (stirring/flipping frequently) until cooked about half way through. Add remaining vegetables and red pepper flakes and continue to stir fry until chicken is thoroughly cooked and vegetables are tender. Add hoisin sauce. Combine Teriyaki sauce and corn starch in a bowl and whisk until corn starch is dissolved. Add mixture to wok and continue to cook until meat and vegetables are well coated and sauce is thickened. If sauce becomes too thick, add additional Teriyaki sauce or water. Serve over rice.

ALTERNATIVES:

• Pea Pods (my favorite, but I don’t often have them on hand)
• Asparagus
• Sliced Peppers (Red, Yellow, or Green)
• Mushrooms (sliced) – add later than other vegetables because they cook quickly
• Baby Corn (canned)
• Bamboo Shoots (canned)
• Napa Cabbage
• Spinach
• Cashews
• Peanuts
• Garlic Chili Sauce
• Sirachia sauce
• Fish sauce (very salty)
• Soy sauce

Homemade Teriyaki Sauce:

• 2/3 cup mirin (Japanese sweet rice wine)
• 1 cup soy sauce
• 4 1/2 teaspoons rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1/3 cup white sugar
• 7 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
• 1 dash red pepper flakes
• black pepper to taste