Monday, September 27, 2010

Chicken and Veggie Stir-Fry

Today we're going to talk about chicken stir-fry. Because it's really yummy. And also because I always used to mess it up, but now I have discovered how to make stir-fry without overcooking the chicken.

Here's my staple chicken stir-fry recipe with a photo tutorial. Because pictures make everything easier. :D

Chicken and Veggie Stir-Fry
 
Ingredients:
(serves 3-4)

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast
3 TBSP cornstarch
3 TBSP soy sauce
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp garlic powder
3 TBSP olive oil (or your oil of choice...coconut oil or stir-fry oil would be my other choices)
2 cups broccoli florets (approximately 2 heads of fresh broccoli, cut into florets)
1 red bell pepper, cut into slices
1/2 cup to 1 cup sliced carrots
1 small onion, cut into wedges
1 cup chicken broth (if you don't have chicken broth on hand, you can use 1 cup water and 1 tsp chicken bullion).
Soy Sauce to taste
Peanut Sauce to taste (optional, but highly recommended!!!)
Rice (for serving the stir-fry over)

NOTE: You can really use whatever combination of veggies you like for this recipe. In a time crunch, I've used a bag of frozen stir-fry veggies before. 

First, cut your chicken breasts into strips. Then place them in a ziploc bag and sprinkle the corn starch over them. Seal the bag and toss to coat. In a small bowl, mix together the soy sauce, ground ginger, and garlic powder. Pour it over the coated chicken. Then place bag in the fridge for 30 minutes to marinate.



The next step is to cook your rice. Turn on that rice cooker!
I heart my rice cooker.
Now, take some time to chop up your veggies. If you're using frozen veggies, you get to skip this step. :D
Aren't they purdy?
Now, heat 2 TBSP of oil in your skillet/wok (making it in a wok would make you feel very sophisticated, I think). Then plop the marinated chicken in. Stir-fry the chicken until it is no longer pink, about 3-5 minutes. That's the trick--it doesn't need much longer than that!

Place the cooked chicken in a bowl (I cover the bowl with a plate to keep the chicken warm).


Now heat the rest of the oil in the skillet and stir-fry your veggies for 4-5 minutes, or until tender, but still crisp.

Tip: When using fresh broccoli, I steam it in the microwave for a couple of minutes prior to tossing it in the pan. Otherwise it seems to take too long to get tender, while the other veggies turn to mush.

When the veggies have reached the desired tenderness, add the chicken and the chicken broth. Cook until everything is hot and the mixture thickens a bit (this doesn't take very long).

At this point, I add a little more soy sauce and peanut sauce to taste.

Peanut sauce, you say? Yes, peanut sauce. It's fabulous. Don't worry, they sell this stuff at Publix. It gives the dish a kick (go easy if you're easily intimidated by hot spicyness!) and really wonderful flavor. 

And you're done! Serve over rice. :)

Here is the printable version. :)





Linked to Mouthwatering Monday, Tasty Tuesday, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, Delicious Dishes, and Tuesdays at The Table.
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11 comments:

  1. Yum! This sounds absolutely scrumptious! I love peanut sauce. :)

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  2. Yum! I love 'cheating' and using the "three pepper and onion" frozen mix. It makes it so much easier!
    And isn't having a rice cooker the best thing ever?!

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  3. Are you sure you're not really an Asian in disguise? I think you make just as much Asian food as I do. =p I have to make you an honorary Asian.

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  4. This looks REALLY REALLY good. This is why I love your site-you gave me step by step dummy pictures and I can follow along and not feel ferklempt about missing something. I'm going to try it--but here's a question, is that a regular stovetop wok or an electric one?

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  5. Ammie, it's not a wok at all! It's just a large skillet!

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  6. Joyce, that would make my day. Hehe.

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  7. Love stir fry! Making something similar tonight. That peanut sauce looks good!

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  8. Yum, yum. That peanut sauce is such a staple at our house. We serve it on everything, just enough kick! It makes my mouth water. We always have at least 6-8 in our food storage!

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  9. We love, love, LOVE stirfry! I make it ATLEAST once a week, along with the yummy peanut sauce (my husband's favorite). I always add an ample amount of water chestnuts for extra crunch. And the rice cooker...we have rice usually 4-5 times a week (and also add in fresh brocolli in the top portion for steamed veggies). Love reading your blog, Alicia! I've been MIA the past 3 weeks but I'm baaack! :)

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  10. saw this on your menu this week and I had to click on the link. I love the addition of peanut sauce. This looks so very good!!!

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  11. Hi Alicia, I just had to tell you that I LOVE this recipe. :-) I've made it about three times over the past few months and plan on making it again this week sometime. Great tip on giving the broccoli a headstart on the cook time. Also, we really enjoyed the peanut sauce addition.

    God bless you!

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