Quick and Easy Stir Fry

The last week has been a busy one and it is nice to settle back in to a routine again. One of my favorite dishes is chicken stir fry. Many years ago in Washington, I took a Chinese cooking class from a lady who taught at Tacoma Community College. I still use her recipes and this is one of my ultimate favorites. You can use any combination of veggies depending on what is  fresh or what you have on hand. The sauce is what makes this dish. I've tried several different ingredients and always come back to this basic sauce. The key is Oyster  Sauce. Now don't freak out like I originally did if you don't like oysters. I HATE oysters, but oyster sauce does not taste like oysters at all and it gives the sauce a yummy and simple flavor.

Chicken Stir Fry
1lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced.
Marinate chicken with 1 TBL soy sauce and 1 tp sesame oil.
6- 8 cups diced veggies (I used a chopped onion, green pepper, 3 or 4 ribs celery, a couple carrots, sliced broccoli) Other ideas: zucchini, cabbage, bean sprouts, corn, julienne green beans, seaweed, etc.
3 or 4 cloves garlic
1" section of fresh ginger, peeled and minced (optional)
Sesame oil
EVOO or peanut oil
Toasted cashews or almonds
Cooked rice or Chinese noodles to serve.

Sauce:
2 -3 TBL Oyster Sauce
2 - 3 TBL Corn Starch
1/3 cup water

Dice veggies.
Heat large heavy skillet on med-high with 1 tsp sesame oil and 2 TBL EVOO.
Add diced garlic and ginger if using. Stir fry until garlic begins to brown.
Add veggies and stir fry 3 - 5 minutes or until veggies begin to soften. Add 1/4 cup water and cover to steam veggies 2 minutes. Remove veggies and set aside while you cook the chicken.
Add 2 TBL EVOO to pan and heat. Add chicken and stri fry until chicken is no longer pink, abt 5 minutes.


Return veggie to pan.
Combine sauce ingredients and add to pan, stirring to coat veggies as it thickens.
Serve over cooked rice or Chinese noodles and top with toasted nuts.

I did end up using a little green curry in my portion as I like things a bit spicy. I also used some diced seaweed with the veggies. Don't forget to rinse the seaweed to get off some of the brine or the dish could be too salty. If you don't use seaweed, you can add a little soy sauce to the dish at the last minute to deepen the flavors.

I hope you like the recipe as much as I do. Don't forget to play with it!! Mix the veggies however you like. Try substituting shrimp or pork for the chicken. Add a little hot pepper or curry. Have fun with it.