Sizzlin' Stirfry

Chicken and veggie stir fry

Just thinking about all the effort that goes into making a holiday meal leaves me feeling exhausted. It seems like it was just Thanksgiving, and now Christmas and Hanukkah have gone and went.

In an effort to make the days after the holidays easier, here is a recipe for stir fry that my Mom and I came up with on a whim one night while having dinner at my parents' house. Let me tell you, stir fry has been a staple in my family ever since I can remember. Ariel and I used to make this dish in college all the time and our friends loved it. This meal is easy, healthy and delicious. Try out any combo of veggies and protein you like. I love bell pepper, and broccoli and carrots are a nice addition. Steak is another great option, and tofu would be tasty too. Experiment with it and have fun, you really can't mess this up!

Mama Brady's Stir Fry

Ingredients:

4 T olive oil

4 cloves chopped garlic

1 large eggplant

1/2 lb green beans

1 container cherry tomatoes

1 onion

4 chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch cubes

2 tsp minced ginger

a handful of fresh basil

Heat up 2 tablespoons olive oil in a hot frying pan or wok. Add chopped garlic. Let the garlic heat for a couple minutes until it begins to sizzle. Add eggplant and cover so it steams a little for about 5 minutes. (JAM note: This helps the eggplant cook through so it isn't too crunchy). Once the eggplant is tender, remove from the pan and place in a bowl to the side. Add another tablespoon of oil and add green beans to the pan. Keep tossing the beans in the oil for a few minutes. The crunchier you like them, the less cooking time they need. Remove the beans and put in the bowl with the eggplant. Next add another tablespoon oil, then add onions and chicken. Brown chicken pieces on both sides. Let onions soften and turn a golden brown. Once chicken is browned, add the veggies back to the wok. Cut up cherry tomatoes in half and add to the pan. Toss in some minced ginger and let the mixture heat through. Rip up sprigs of fresh basil and toss into the mixture at the very end so they don't wilt too much. Serve with a side of rice, or some noodles (rice noodles would be nice). Dig in!

2 out of 3 JAMs

Green Beans with an Asian Flair!

I had made stirfry the other night, using some red bell pepper, portabello mushrooms, snap peas, teriyaki sauce, fresh ginger, and garlic. It was amazing.



The next night I decide to recreate the dish, but realized the only vegetables I had in the house were some green beans. I knew these would be tasty. My dad loves chinese green beans and I knew the sauce I had would be perfect in recreating those flavors.



I heated up some oil in a pan on medium high heat and threw the green beans in. I cooked them for about 5 minutes, so they crisped up a little on the outside. I chopped up one clove of garlic, and about half as much ginger and added that to the pan. I used 3 tablespoons of teriyaki sauce plus about 1/3 cup of water. I added the sauce to the pan, turned the heat down to medium and cooked for another 5 minutes.

Some chopped scallions were tossed on top. Voila! The beans were ready. They were crisp, but nicely cooked through. The ginger and garlic were so fresh and paired nicely together. The scallions added an extra kick to offset the sweetness of the beans and the sauce. This dish is so fresh and can be tweaked to make slightly different versions. You could add some toasted cashews, red pepper flakes, or some more vegetables. The combinations are endless.

As I am often looking for ways to add more vegetables to my diet, this is certainly one dish I will be making again.