Stay-in Stir Fry
Mrs. Annelise Roberts
You’re tired, it’s been a long week, and the last thing you feel like doing is cooking. You’d love nothing more than to hit a few buttons and have your spouse run out to pick up some steaming hot takeout. Yes, it costs a lot, and no, it’s not usually very nutritious. Sometimes it doesn’t even taste very good. But before you know it, you are reaching for the phone to place a takeout order, once again.
Sometimes takeout really does make sense. But what if I told you that at least on some of those hard nights when you are tempted to reach for the phone, you could instead have a delicious, nutritious meal on the table in about thirty minutes, without tremendous effort and without spending any more of your hard-earned dollars?
It seems like a tall order, but this particular recipe is my ace in the hole, my trusty fallback for when I don’t have a dinner plan. Stay-in Stir Fry is endlessly adaptable to the meat and vegetables you have on hand, requires only a few pantry staples, and can be dressed up or down as the occasion requires. It can also be adapted for seasonal availability, which makes it more cost effective. A winter stir-fry might feature cabbage and carrots, or the bag of frozen broccoli you always keep in the freezer. A summer stir fry is the perfect place to showcase garden bounty and pack vegetables into the meal. You really can use almost any vegetable or ground meat that you have on hand.
When I am low on groceries, time, or energy (or all three), I know that I can make even the simplest version of this stir fry, using only ground beef and frozen broccoli, and still have something tasty and filling to feed my family. And if you choose to use the coconut aminos option, the meal will also be free of all eight common allergens, which comes in quite handy when you are making a meal for a family member or friend who has dietary restrictions.
So next time you are tempted to order takeout, consider this fresh, fast, and adaptable option to help you stay in instead. It will not disappoint!
— Annelise
Stay-in Stir Fry
Serves four to six.
A wok or 12” frying pan
A spatula or wooden spoon
A sharp knife
A cutting board
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon coconut oil or other neutral-tasting oil
1 pound of ground beef, pork, or chicken,
1 bunch scallions or 1/2 white onion
1 1-inch knob fresh ginger
5-6 cups assorted vegetables (carrots, broccoli, mushrooms, bell peppers, etc.)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ginger powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder (or, if time permits, a few fresh garlic cloves, minced)
1/2 teaspoon salt (or more, to taste)
Sesame oil
1/4 cup soy sauce OR 1/4 cup coconut aminos OR 1/4 cup gluten free tamari
1/4 cup water
Additional 1/4 cup water (optional)
1 Tbsp cornstarch or arrowroot starch (optional)
Honey (optional)
Garnishes (optional)
Directions:
A successful stir fry begins with a complete mise en place. Since some ingredients will cook very quickly, it’s best to have everything properly measured and sliced before you heat up your pan.
Begin by preparing the vegetables. Dice or slice the onion or slice the scallions thinly. Peel any hard vegetables, such as carrots, and slice them into thin coins or matchsticks; cut or break vegetables like broccoli or cauliflower into bite-sized florets; and slice vegetables such as peppers, cabbages, and bok choy thinly.
Peel the fresh ginger and mince it finely. Next, measure out the salt, pepper, garlic powder, and powdered ginger into a small bowl. Set aside.
Heat the oil in the wok or skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, sauté the fresh ginger and onion or scallions until fragrant (about one minute), being careful not to burn them. Add the ground meat and break up with a spatula or spoon until it is about halfway cooked through, about 5 minutes. (You may also choose to cook the meat completely through at this step and then remove the meat, adding more oil to the pan before adding the vegetables.)
Add the hard vegetables (carrots) and cook for 3-4 minutes. Next, add the medium-hard vegetables (bell peppers, broccoli) and cook for another 4-5 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender, but still crisp. Add the spice mixture and stir well to incorporate. Finally, add in any greens you may be using (boy choy, spinach) and cook for 1-2 more minutes or until the greens are beginning to wilt.
Add the soy sauce or coconut aminos or tamari and the water and mix well. (If you’d like a thickened sauce, now is the time to mix together the additional ¼ cup of water with the 1 Tbsp of starch, then add it to the pan.) Cook for another 1-2 minutes.
Taste and adjust seasonings as desired. If using soy sauce or tamari, add a drizzle of honey to balance out the soy flavor.
Finish with a drizzle of sesame oil (but drizzle with care — a little goes a long way.)
Serving:
Serve over rice and top with chopped cilantro, a sprinkle of sesame seeds or a squirt of Sriracha or Green Dragon sauce, if desired.
Variations:
Many vegetables work well in this recipe, including celery, cabbage, mushrooms, zucchini, summer squash, snow peas, green beans, green or red cabbage, bok choy and spinach. Many frozen vegetables work well, too.
Some of our favorite combinations are:
– Carrots, broccoli, and purple cabbage
– Carrots, broccoli, red bell pepper, and bok choy
– Carrots, broccoli, snow peas, and mushrooms
Aim for 5-6 cups of cut vegetables, cutting the hardest vegetables into the thinnest pieces, and be sure to add the hardest vegetables to the pan first, proceeding from those that are the sturdiest to those that are the most delicate.
As an alternative to using raw ground meat, you can also use leftover, already-cooked meat such as shredded beef or chicken, adding the cooked meat to the pan near the end, along with the bok choy or other greens.
Notes:
Because coconut aminos tend towards the sweeter side, when using the aminos you should expect the stir-fry to have a bit of a teriyaki flavor.
If you prefer a milder “kick,” consider reducing the fresh ginger to a 1/2” knob and the powdered ginger to 1/4 tsp. And if you don’t have fresh ginger on hand, you can simply increase the amount of powdered ginger to 1 tsp.
