ISO Stir Fry Recipes

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SizzlininIN

Master Chef
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I'm in the mood for stir fry..........care to share your favorite recipe?

I don't have an actual recipe wrote down but I take strips of thinly sliced beef and quickly pan sear them in oil to brown the outside of the meat....along with the meat I cook strips of onion along with it. I then add 1 can of cream of broccoli soup a little beef broth to thin it out along with soy sauce. Once I get the sauce made I add in broccoli flowerettes and water chestnuts. I then serve it over rice.
 
I dont have measurements, I just wing it, but I use either beef or chicken cut into thin strips. After cooking on high heat in a wok, I then add various veggies such as scallions, mushrooms, carrotts, waterchestnuts, bean sprouts. For seasonings I use fresh ginger, lite soy sauce, and a tiny bit of 5 spice powder. You can add just about anything you like to a stir fry, but it's best to cut things thin and evenly so they will cook fast on high heat.
 
I often cook my stir fry just with vegs but at times I may use strips of chicken breast or pork tenderloin. Slice up the vegetables as evenly as possible. For the vegs that require longer cooking time, like onions, bell peppers or carrots, make them smaller and thinner than the ones that cook faster, like zucchini/courgette, mushrooms, green onions. For broccoli, I like to precook lightly (but not all the way) before stir fry, as they require, at least to me, a gentle balance of not too crunchy but not soggy and mushy--which is rather difficult to acheive by just sautèeing.
For seasoning I just like garlic, ginger and either salt or drop of teriyaki sauce, sometimes I like a twist of some indian spices (coriander, garam masala, turmeric) and sesame seeds blended in. Also a few drops of sesame seed oil near the finish (better this way than cooking with it) add a nice touch.
Also, as Amber suggested, cook with high heat so vegs will remain nicely crisp, not soggy when they are cooked, wok is not an absolute necessity but be sure to use an ample vessel so you can toss around the content well at ease!
 
my stir frys usually include bok choy, scallions, shiitakes, carrots, broccoli, and bell peppers. but i have added just about whatever veggies are in the fridge including asparagus, cauliflower, eggplant, hot peppers, celery, red and sweet onions, fennel, cabbage, spinach, kale, turnips, and tomatoes.
everything is cut into strips of roughly the same thickness.

for meats, i have used chuck cubes, beef tenderloin cubes, skirt steaks, boneless chicken breasts, tenders, and thighs, shrimp, squid, scallops, pork sirloins, and lamb cubes from shoulder blade chops.

the meats are dusted with flour and quickly seared in peanut or canola oil first, with lots of chopped garlic and ginger, then set aside.
then the harder veggies are put in, like carrots and turnips. next goes the medium veggies like peppers and scallions. finally, the soft veggies, eggplant, leafy veggies, and mushrooms are added.
the meat is then put back in the wok, tossed, and a little soy sauce added.
this is stirred over very high heat until the meats are cooked thru, then a sauce is added, like teryaki or hoisin, and if necessary, a little corn starch slurry.

depending on the ingredients, i will sometimes add a little butter and either red or white wine with the soy sauce instead of a chinese sauce. red wine and butter works really well with the beef tenderloin chunks, stir fried with bok choy, scallions, and shiitakes.

one trick that i've mentioned before is when you order take out chinese food, ask them to steam your order, and give you the sauce on the side. this way you save fat and calories by not eating so much sauce, and you can use the remaining sauce in your home made stir fry. it makes your food taste almost as good as the restaurant's.
 
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How could I forget bok choy! I love that in stir fries. Not sure what cut of beef I bought last time, it came precut in a package for stir fries. I think it may have been top round.
 
I usually just buy what looks good that day in regards to beef. No matter what beef I do end up picking up....I avoid freezing it, I make sure to cut it thinly and I cook it quickly to avoid it becoming tough. Chicken is wonderful in stirfry also.........I like to marinate it first though otherwise the chicken doesnt seem flavorful enough for me.
 
I always have "asian style" chicken and beef marinated and frozen, ready to go as is, or prepared in several ways. I don't do stir frys that often. When I do, I cheat. I use the prepared black bean garlic sauce, chili garlic sauce, oyster sauce, and whatever else I have on hand and I'm in the mood for.
 
I make mine with two different twists, so not totally traditional but then I like a lot of non-traditional things :).

Thai Inspired:

I use veggies (matchstick carrots, snow peas, french style green beans, baby corn, button mushrooms, scallions, cilantro finely chopped) and shrimp, beef or chicken.

I marinate my meat in a tiny bit of soy sauce, grated ginger and sambal olek paste. I then add oil to a wok or saute and cook the meat on high until done. I remove it with a slotted spoon on a plate. I then add the veggies (except scallions and cilantro) and cook them for a couple of minutes. I add this sauce to it

1 tsp of peanut butter, 2 tbsp of coconut milk, 2 tsp of brown sugar a touch of cumin and corrainder powder. Stir it all together and add to the veggies, cook on high for another minute and finish with scallions and cilantro and stir it slightly. Serve it over rice or rice noodles.

Italian Inspired

Pesto Sauce: I make mine at home but you can buy readymade. You can experiment with different herbs to make pesto. Spinach, Parsley, Arugula etc. I like walnuts in my pesto and good amount of parmesean, garlic and olive oil.

Use veggies and meat of your choice ( I like chicken breasts sliced along with broccoli, carrots, red bell pepper strips and sliced onions). In a pan add olive oil and garlic, next add the chicken and cook until no longer pink, next add veggies and cook on high for a couple more minutes. Add several heaping tbsps of pesto (to taste) and cook for another minute. You can add penne pasta to that or tortellini and it's a great meal.
 
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