A stir-fry is a super quick and easy meal to put together that is as perfect for an impromptu visit by guests as it is for a simple night alone binge-watching your favorite Netflix show. It’s a convenient way to use up food in your fridge before it goes bad, because you can put almost anything into a stir-fry. Its also incredibly tasty and can be quite healthy, as long as you are careful about your sauce.
The key to a stir-fry is prepping your ingredients before you start cooking.
Ingredients:
8 oz Chicken Breast
1 Cup Instant Brown Rice (Makes 2 cups prepared)
3 Medium-sized Eggs
1/4 Medium Red Bell Pepper
1/ Cup Raw Broccoli
1 Cup Baby Carrots
1/2 Medium-sized Onion
1 Large Jalapeno Pepper (optional)
1/4 Cup Frozen Peas
1/4 Cup Frozen Corn
1 oz Butter
1/4 Cup Cooking Oil (I used Canola but any oil with a high smoke point will do)
Seasonings:
1/2 tsp Frozen Lemon Grass
1/2 tsp Chinese Five Spice
2tsp Granulated Chicken Flavor Base (Bouillon)
1/4 tsp Garlic Powder
1/4 tsp Onion Powder
Pinch Salt
Fresh Cracked Black Pepper
Splash White Wine Vinegar
1/4 Cup Fresh Cilantro
Preparation:
- Dice the red bell pepper and onion. Slice the jalapeno into rings. Rough-chop broccoli into small, even pieces. Cut baby carrots into thirds. Once they have been prepared, put these into a bowl and hold until you are ready to cook them.
- Place baby carrots into a pot of water and boil for approximately 10-15 minutes to soften. Using a strainer or basket, dip broccoli into boiling water for 2 minutes and then promptly remove. Once boiled, keep these two veggies in a separate bowl from the cold veggies because they will be hot and you don’t want the heat to prematurely begin cooking the cold veggies.
- Assemble brown rice ingredients in a medium pot. This includes: brown rice, granulated chicken flavor base, lemon grass, Chinese five spice, onion powder, garlic powder and white wine vinegar. For 1 cup of unprepared instant brown rice, add 1 cup of cold water. Cover with a lid, bring to a boil and then simmer for 3-5 minutes (or until water has disappeared). Remove from heat, stir and leave lid on so the rice can continue to cook in its own steam.
- The final step for the brown rice is to chop the cilantro and add to the pot. Do this at the last minute before plating so the cilantro will not overcook and become bitter.
- Cut the chicken breast into even-sized cubes. Heat oil in a large wok. When oil is hot, add the chicken. Once the chicken has cooked about 70 percent of the way, add the veggies. The wok will generate an incredibly high level of heat. Be sure to keep everything moving at all times to prevent anything burning.
- Now is the time to add the soy sauce. Soy sauce is very salty, so this should be done to taste. Drizzle the sauce over the stir-fry in a circle motion. Stir and toss the meal so the soy sauce is spread evenly throughout the ingredients and also so it coats all the rice.
- The eggs are the final part of the meal and are completely optional, but I like that they add texture and protein. Beat three eggs to a medium thick consistency. Melt 1 oz butter in a pan over medium heat. Once the butter has melted and coated the pan, pour in the beaten eggs. With a wooden spoon or a spatula, stir and work the eggs. Never let them sit still as they will burn very quickly. Once the eggs begin to solidify, remove the pan from the heat and keep working them. (They will continue to cook in their own heat.) After a minute or so, put the pan back onto the heat. Repeat this process up to two more times until the eggs have solidified to a nice fluffy consistency, always working them. Season with salt and fresh cracked pepper and remove from heat.
- Plate the meal and always begin with the eggs. (You want to get them out of the hot pan to stop the cooking.) Bon appétit!
THE MALONE EFFECT 