Stir fry is one of my favorite cooking techniques! It’s a simple and quick way to get a meal on the table. Stir fry is an Asian cooking method where vegetables and/or meat are cooked over high heat. Since they are cooked quickly, the vegetables retain their bright colors and their nutrient content. One advantage of stir fry is that you can cook the vegetables to the texture you desire, tender crisp if you like or cook a little longer for a softer texture, I usually place the lid over the skillet just at the end of the cooking to allow the vegetables to steam just a bit.

You can use almost any vegetable in stir fry, choose the vegetables that your family likes. The stir fry I am preparing for you today has a variety of brightly colored vegetables which add to the appeal of the dish. We are drawn to the bright colors of the vegetables, if a dish looks good we are more likely to try and enjoy it. When preparing your vegetables try to slice them so they are uniform in size so they will cook more evenly.

You can certainly make a vegetable only stir fry but if you choose to add a protein any of the following will work wonderfully, beef, chicken, pork, fish or tofu. In order to keep the meat from over cooking it is best to cook it first, once it is cooked thoroughly, remove it from the skillet, set aside and keep it warm. Once you have finished cooking the vegetables add your chosen protein back to the skillet, if you are using fish, break it up gently and stir minimally after you add the fish. Shrimp or scallops make a great protein addition too! If tofu is your choice, select firm tofu, slice it into bite-sized pieces and add it at the end of cooking.

The sauce I add to the stir fry pulls it all together and is a simple mixture of soy sauce, chicken broth and cornstarch. The cornstarch is used to thicken the sauce once it hits the heat. If you want to reduce the sodium, you can use light soy sauce, reduce or even omit the soy sauce. If you choose to use less soy sauce just increase the amount of chicken broth used.

Finally the cooking tools...you will need a large heavy skillet and spatula. Some assume you can’t stir fry without a wok but a heavy skillet that will handle the high heat works well.

I hope stir fry is a technique you will add to your cooking tool box, your family is sure to enjoy and you’re only limited by your imagination.

Healthy regards,
Dana