If I've cooked dinner for you lately, there's a 1 in 2 chance that it's been a stir fry. If I was... let's say, sobriety challeneged when I cooked that meal, there's a 3 in 4 chance that it was a stir fry. This is that meal that I can cook with my eyes closed, one hand behind my back, at 2 AM. It also happens to be healthy and tasty. As the name "Stir Fry" implies, you can put anything in this in terms of veggies and proteins, but I'll give the standard recipe that I make most often. I'll be honest, this is going to be some terrible instruction, mainly because I can never keep track of how long it takes to do things like stir fry mushrooms- you just cook them until they're done. That's that. So use common sense, I suppose, if you're idiotic enough to try this after that introduction. It really is super easy.
These amounts will make 4 servings, easily, and it reheats fantastically.
The most important thing you'll need is a packet of Sun Bird General Tso's Chicken Seasoning Mix. It's cheating, I know, but that's sort've the point. Look for it in your Asian food aisle. They have a bunch of flavors, but after trying all of them, this is by far the best.
Additionally...
- soy sauce, about 1/4 c
- 2 tbl brown sugar (omit if low carbing it- it's not necessary)
- 1 Tbl rice vinegar, or water if you don't feel like investing in this
- 1/2 package firm tofu, cut into 1/4 inch cubes
- 2 Tbl olive oil. This is a total estimate. I have no idea how much oil I use... just use enough to keep the food from sticking
- 1 small onion, chopped
- what, like, a handful of frozen, already cooked shrimp
- 5 oz mushrooms, sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped
- 1/2 can bean sprouts
- 1 c frozen broccoli crowns (go ahead- spend the extra 50 cents for the crowns over the general, stems included broccoli- you deserve it)
- 2 eggs
- 1 c frozen cauliflower
- a dash of cayenne pepper if you like it hot
- 1/4 c peanuts
- 1/4 c green onions
Heat some oil in a nice big wok over medium high heat. A wok is actually pretty necessary for this. You're going to run out of room if you use a frying pan. Make sure the oil's hot, then add the tofu and onion. I like mine to get pretty crispy, so to accomplish that you have to let the tofu and onions sit in the oil for a minute or so, then turn them with a spatula. If you've never worked with tofu before, it takes practice to cook it how you like it, but if you don't get it perfect, it's not a big deal. A stir fry is a really forgiving way to practice making tofu. When it starts to look a little brown, it's done- like a perfectly roasted marshmallow. After a few minutes with the tofu and onion cooking, add the mushroom, garlic, and cayenne pepper. You may have to add a little more oil here. After a few minutes, when the mushrooms are done to your liking, add the thawed broccoli, cauliflower, and shrimp. Push everything to the side of the wok and add the eggs, scrambling them with your spatula. Let the eggs cook until they're soft, as in not quite done, then mix everything in your wok. You can try the infamous flippy food thing, but you'll probably just make a mess. Now add the sauce and bean sprouts. Stir it all up. If the sauce seems liquidy, just let it cook off some of the water. Garnish each bowl with the green onions and peanuts.
-Jacklyn Nemunaitis
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