Just Stir... and Fry!

So let's face it - stir fry is nothing new. I know tons of people who were raised on it, lived on it through college, would swear by it.

But not this lady.

My family's always pretty much avoided the oriental arena of foods. I seriously don't think I ever stepped foot in a Chinese restaurant until I was at least 16. And sure, my friends liked going to Chen-Chens in college; but you can bet I'd never eat more than some chicken (with ketchup, not sweet and sour sauce) and an egg roll.

I'm southern to the bone. That's all there is to it.

But, despite my general aversion to Asian food, stir fry is something I can handle. The great thing about it is that you really don't have to use a set recipe - grab some soy sauce (or teriyaki, or whatever's on hand), whatever meat and veggies you have in your fridge, and within 30 minutes, you have a great, semi-healthy meal. It's easy, it's quick, and, best of all, it's completely tailored to your own tastes.

So follow this recipe, find another one, or just make something up yourself; clean out your fridge, and stir-fry it up!

Here's how I made it through my first stir-frying experience:

Ingredients used (aka, what I had in my fridge):

2 chicken breasts, chopped into chunks

3 Tbsp. corn starch

1/2 lb. carrots, thinly sliced

1/2 green bell pepper, sliced

1/2 onion, sliced

2 tsp. garlic powder

2 tsp. ginger

1 Tbsp. Basalmic vinegar

1/4 c. soy sauce

3 Tbsp. brown sugar

3 Tbsp. EVOO

1) Pour cornstarch into a medium-size bowl; add chicken and toss. Add in soy sauce, basalmic vinegar, garlic powder, ginger, and brown sugar. Mix well, and make sure that chicken is evenly coated. Let sit for about 10 minutes.

2) Heat a medium-sized skillet or wok on stove to medium-high heat. Add 2 Tbsp. EVOO and allow it to heat up. Add chicken mixture. Stir fry the chicken until it is cooked through, about 3 minutes.

3) Remove chicken from the pan and add in vegetables and the remaining EVOO. You may also wish to add a little extra soy sauce. Allow vegetables to cook until tender (times will vary depending on what veggies you use -- carrots take about 10 minutes, onions take about 3).

4) Add chicken mixture back in and stir together, once again adding more soy sauce if desired. Remove from pan and serve with rice or pasta (I used brown rice).

Enjoy!