Weeknight Stir Fry
Two years ago I learned to make Pad Thai (the healthy, weeknight way). I was so thrilled with the simplicity and versatility of both the sauce and the base recipe that I quickly started customizing. Two years later we have weeknight stir fry, the meal that makes an appearance on my kitchen table at least twice every week. It is the perfect meal to unite all those errant vegetables from the CSA that are leftover in the fridge after a week of cooking. Read thoroughly below and let the contents of your fridge dictate your version of weeknight stir fry.
recipe
This recipe is like the Pirate Code of cooking. There are no mandatory ingredients. Only guidelines.
It is comprised of three parts: the base, the stir fry, and the garnish (plus the sauce, for which I recommend my tried-and-true Peanut Pad Thai Sauce). You’re going to layer your bowl in this fashion, starting with the base on the bottom, the stir fry on top, and finishing the dish with the garnish, as shown in the images below.
Base. The base is going to provide the foundation for the meal. The culinary infrastructure on which the vegetables of your choosing will elegantly rest, drizzled with the tiniest bit of sauce. Options include:
- brown rice, for a hearty, healthy meal
- white rice, for a more commercial interpretation of ‘stir fry’
- a bed of sautéed cabbage or wilted garlicky kale for a complete vegetable overload
- raw, romaine lettuce for a super light lunch
- note: when placing the base in the bottom of the bowl, drizzle with a bit of sauce for extra flavor
Stir Fry. The stir fry is the mixture of proteins and vegetables that you choose to make up the bulk of the dish. If using meat, cook it first in the pan before adding the vegetables incrementally. If using tofu or tempeh, you may want to cook those separately depending on how you usually like them. Stir Fry contents include:
- chicken breast or thighs, cut into slices (or similar cuts of pork)
- tempeh or tofu
- green or savoy cabbage
- carrots
- yellow onions
- zucchini
- Portobello mushrooms
- Bok choy
- kale or spinach leaves
- sliced bell pepper (longways)
- sliced jalapeño pepper (longways)
- broccoli stems (this is one of my favorites to minimize food waste. If you use the broccoli florets in another dish, save the stems. If particularly rough, peel them lightly like a carrot, cut off the ends, and cut them into thin strips. Then mix them into the stir fry as you would carrot sticks. They also take on Tamari or soy flavoring brilliantly on their own over a bed of rice for a simple lunch)
To make the stir fry: simply cook meat through in frying pan and add vegetables in order of crunchiness at 2 minute intervals (for example, broccoli stems first because they are crunchiest, then carrots and onions, then zucchini). Once all is cooked, top with sauce, stirring for another minute, then removing from heat.
Garnish. This is how you will top your stir fry, but it’s not just decoration. The garnish can add real substance if you want to make the meal more or less substantial. Suggested garnishes:
- fried egg (for extra protein)
- sesame seeds
- minced chives or green onions
- halved cherry tomatoes
- carrot or cucumber slices
- lime wedge
- sautéed Portobello mushroom slices (pan fried in sherry and garlic)
- halved peanuts or cashews toasted under the broiler
- shelled, steamed, salted edamame (more extra protein!)
- sliced jalapeño pepper (roundways)
Customize away and enjoy! Again, this is such a staple meal in my house, if you come up with combinations not listed here, put them in the comments section!
