Wanted: Stir fry recipe!

elannis

I have a new wok and want to try out some kind of stir fry but don't have any good recipes. Any suggestions? Thanks!

Blue & White

http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Stir-Fried-Chicken-and-Rice-Noodles

I'm kinda in love with Rice Noodles.

flygirlmeg

I do stir fry pretty often (about once a week) because BF loooooves it.  Usually I just pick whatever meat I have (chicken, pork, beef), slice that up into pretty uniform pieces so they cook evenly.  I buy a store bought stir fry sauce.  There are lots of different ones but I have had really good luck with some of the ones at Trader Joe's.  You'll just have to figure out which ones you like best!  Anyway, then I pick the veggies to go with the sauce and meat.  Those also get cut uniformly for even cooking. 
Then, I cook the meat so it's just about done.  You can use your favorite oil but I've been using corn oil.  Once that's almost done, drain (if necessary) and set aside on another plate.  Then cook the veggies.  You may have to add some corn oil.  Keep the veggies moving around in the pan pretty constantly.  Oh - and add the veggies in order of how they cook.  For instance, carrots take longer so you'd add those before something quicker cooking like bell peppers or onions.  I like my veggies with a little bit of crispness still to them - not soft and mushy.  All those tips above will help with that. 
FINALLY, once the veggies are close to done, you mix in the stir fry sauce and the meat again.  Cook everything through to doneness.  Serve with rice/noodles/whatever floats your boat!!

I know that's not a very specfic recipe but it's the easiest/best thing I've come up with.  It really allows for a lot of experimentation and using combos of meat/veggie/sauce that you like.  I've tried a few recipes before where you're making your own sauce and honestly - too much work!!  Plus, I ended up with ingredients in the kitchen that I never use - sesame oil, oyster sauce, fish sauce, etc.  If I used those things all the time I wouldn't mind but by getting store bought stir fry sauce I was able to eliminate buying all those other things I never use!

Oh - and one of my favorite combos is meat, bamboo shoots (in a can at the market), carrots, and red bell peppers.  The sauce I usually do with that is a sweet-spicy one.  YUM!!

Good luck with your experimentation!

Blue & White

Note to self: need wok & trader joe's stir fry sauce...now

jaycee7389

I love my wok and making stir fry! We make it very often actually. Here is how I do it:

I cook chicken first, you can do it whichever way you want really. I personally will cook it stove-top in some broth so that it shreds.
Then I start to boil rice. I use success bags of rice for easy clean up.
I add the rice and about 1 tbs of canola oil to the wok and cook on med high to "fry" the rice.
After I add the chicken, and steamed veggies (I use a frozen bag of stir fry veggies), and a fried egg.
I usually just put soy sauce on ours, but I have bought various types of teriyaki sauce from the grocery sauce pre-made.

Eta: If you can find sake (rice wine) add that to the rice, it makes a difference. I live in stupid PA where you can't buy alcohol anywhere except a liquor store so I'm always too lazy to make an extra trip.

elannis

Thanks for the suggestions! It's making me hungry. I'm going to have to go to the grocery store to pick up a few things, but I like the idea of the ready-made sauce. I probably wouldn't have much use for those specific ingredients either. It sounds like it's a pretty simple concept. I can't wait to try it!

calindi

Buy toasted sesame oil.  They don't sell it everywhere, but it's usually comparably priced to olive oil, so not too bad.  And it's soooooo yummy!  We use it to stir fry with (add a little canola oil to help since it might be overpowering on its own) with some garlic, toss in whatever meat we're cooking with (chicken, shrimp, steak, tofu, portobello mushrooms - whatever!) and then add the rest of the ingredients (usually bell peppers, broccoli, water chestnuts, sliced almonds, etc.) and toss until desired softness is achieved.  Add onion powder, salt, pepper, and some powdered ginger (or fresh ginger, if you're up for it).  Delish!

bsidebella

It's not *exactly* stir fry, but this is one of my favorite dishes and it's cooked in a wok - and it's only 390 calories a serving! It's from my very favorite cookbook: "Cook This, Not That!":

Chicken Fried Rice
1 tbsp peanut or canola oil
4 scallions, greens and whites separated and chopped
1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
1 medium zucchini, diced
2 carrots, diced
2 cups bite-sized broccoli florets
2 cups mushrooms (preferably shiitake), stems removed, sliced
1/2 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs, sliced into thin, bite-sized pieces
4 cups cooked brown rice
2 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
2 eggs, lightly beaten

1. In a wok or large non-stick skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. When the oil is lightly smoking, add the scallion whites, ginger and garlic, and cook for 30 to 45 seconds.

2. Add the zucchini, carrots, broccoli, and mushrooms, and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, using a wooden spoon to stir the vegetables throughout.

3. Add the chicken and continue cooking for 2 to 3 minutes, until the pieces are no longer pink.

4. Stir in the rice and soy sauce and cook for another 5 minutes, allowing the rice  to get crispy on the bottom. Create an empty space in the middle of the pan and add the eggs. Use a wooden spoon or spatula to quickly scramble the eggs until light and fluffy, then stir them into the rest of the ingredients. Serve garnished with scallion greens. Enjoy!!!

I've made this recipe a few times and I change it up every so often. I haaaaate mushrooms, so I never use them. I use fresh snow peas or green beans or onions instead. I've also used pork and beef instead of chicken. Hope you like it!

leia1979

I second Cate on the sesame oil.

I buy the Bird's Eye stir fry frozen vegetable mix and stir fry it in the sesame oil. I then serve it over rice (I like Jasmine broken rice) with Lawry's Sesame Ginger marinade. I usually make either potstickers or eggrolls to go with it.

Also, add sesame oil to soy sauce to make a yummy dipping sauce for potstickers.