Quick Stir Fry

This is my "grab all leftover veggies and make a one-bowl meal" stir fry. So this week my leftover veggies happened to ALL be green, so it's not a rainbow of color but still tasted really good. I'll add some suggestions of other vegetables that would work well if you're looking for more variety. :) 

One of the ingredients used in the stir fry sauce may not be one you already have in your pantry. But it is so worth having for this sauce alone since it makes for such a quick, easy meal. It is called mirin and it is a Japanese rice cooking wine. It adds some sweetness to the salty soy sauce and the nutty sesame oil. It's a really good balance. And did I mention easy? 

This will become a theme on this blog I'm sure, but one thing I love about this recipe is that I can chop all the veggies and protein and mix up the sauce earlier in the day and just stir fry it up right at dinner time. Enjoy!

Quick Stir Fry

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. hard tofu, cut into long strips or cubes OR chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1/4 c. vegetable oil
• 1 c. broccoli, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 c. broccoli stem, peeled and sliced into thin 2-3 in. long pieces
• 1 c. string beans, cut into bite-sized pieces 
• (other great stir fry veggies: red bell pepper, corn kernels, edamame, bamboo, water chestnuts, carrots, etc.)
  
• 2 c. white rice, cooked with package instructions
• Stir fry sauce (recipe below)
• Salt/Pepper

Stir Fry Sauce Ingredients:
Mix together in a bowl. Set aside.

• 2 T. sesame oil
• 4 T. mirin
• 4 T. soy sauce
• 1-2 pinches of red pepper flakes

Directions:

1. Make rice according the package directions.
2. Heat oil in 12 in non-stick skillet or a wok, if you have one, over med-hi heat.
3. Prep your protein. I used tofu this week, but chicken is great too. Cut tofu to desired size, pat dry with paper towels. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. 
4. When oil is shimmering but not smoking, place tofu in the pan. Do not stir until one side is browned. Once browned, flip all pieces to the other side. Continue until all sides are browned. Remove from pan with a slotted spoon to a bowl. Set aside. (Brown chicken the same way until cooked through)
   
   
   
   
5. Add more oil, if needed, to cover the bottom of the pan. When oil is heated to med-hi again, add firmer veggies to the pan such as broccoli and carrots. Cook until brightly colored and slightly less firm. 
6. Push those veggies to the edges of the pan, making a circle in the middle. Add softer veggies, such as bamboo, bell pepper, corn, etc. Fry in the middle for a 1-2 min., then stir all veggies together until they have reached the desired firmness/softness. We like ours to still have a tiny crunch, definitely not mushy and overcooked.
7. Add your protein back to the pan and mix in until all is heated through. 
8. Pour sauce into the pan and mix until incorporated. 
9. Remove from heat. 
10. Place a scoop of rice into each bowl. Spoon stir fry and sauce over rice. Serve hot.