My
boyfriend has a perpetual taste for Asian flavors. Chinese food.
Teppanyaki. Thai. Sushi.
You name it, he wants to eat it. If we’re ever at a loss for what to eat or
make, one of these things generally prevails.
So, in my
attempt to get us both healthier in 2013 by cooking at home more, I made stir
fry the other night. I will apologize in
advance for the fact that there are no pictures of my delicious meal.
Let me
first say that this recipe is pretty universal.
You can use any type of protein (I would probably steer clear of fish
though, it’s a bit too delicate for this application, but shrimp would work!) any
type of vegetable(s) and any type of rice.
I knew I wanted a lean protein and fresh veggies, so I went to Caputo’s
to see what looked good.
I decided
on pork tenderloin, mushrooms, broccolini, and watercress. I was cooking for two, but definitely bought
enough to feed 4. We had white rice at
home, so I used that. Brown rice would
also be excellent. I use a rice cooker
for my rice – it’s pretty foolproof, just keep your instructions booklet which
includes water::rice ratios.
Here are
the measurements, like I said, will easily serve 4, or 2 with lunch for the
next day:
Stir Fry:
1 pork
tenderloin, sliced.
1 carton
pre-sliced mushrooms.
2 bunches
watercress, washed thoroughly, ends trimmed.
4 bunches broccolini,
chopped into bite-sized pieces.
Sauce:
2 cups
stock
½ cup soy
sauce (I use light.)
1 cup warm
water
½ cup water
1 T corn
starch
Rice: I used a rice-cooker to make 3 cups of cooked
rice, according to the directions in the instructions booklet.
Chop all of
your veg and meat into uniform size pieces.
I like bite-sized slices, so that all we need is chopsticks to eat with. If you are using pork tenderloin like I did,
be sure to remove the silver skin.
Next, prep
what will become your sauce. You can use
any type of stock, depending on what protein you will be using. In a large measuring cup or bowl, mix stock,
soy sauce, and ½ cup water. In a
separate measuring cup, mix warm water and cornstarch to form a slurry. Add to stock-soy mix, stir, and set aside.
Get a wok
or sauté pan screaming hot and coat with canola oil. I always sauté my veggies first. Saute veg until just under your liking of
done-ness (I like mine to have bite in them still, so this only takes a minute,
remember, you’re going to add them back to the pan later.) Remove, and set aside.
Re-oil the
pan if necessary. You want the meat to
sizzle and sear, getting browned, not steamed, in the pan. If you have too much meat for your pan, do
this in batches to avoid steaming. Once
all of the meat is cooked, add the veg back to the pan, STIR your slurry-sauce
mix, and also add to the pan. Stir
often, allowing the sauce to thicken.
When the sauce is thickened to your liking, remove from heat.
Serve with
rice of your choosing. I like to pour
some extra sauce over my rice.
The next time I make a stir fry, I'll be sure to take pictures!
yum!
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