When I think of our family’s favourite quick meals, a stir fry is what comes to mind. My recipe has evolved through the years but changes each time I make it with different combinations of meat and vegetables. I pre-slice chicken breast or beef strips and freeze meal size packages so they are ready for making a quick meal.
I use both fresh uncooked and precooked meats. Having vegetables cleaned and sliced speeds the preparation time. An alternative is to use a frozen vegetable stir-fry mix. Precook rice the night before so it is ready to be heated or used to make fried rice.
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BASIC STIR FRY
1lb. boneless, chicken breast, round or sirloin tip steak or pork tenderloin 0g
1 tbsp. cooking wine 15 mL
2 tsp. soy sauce 10 mL
1 tsp. ginger root, peeled and grated (optional)5 mL a2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp. cornstarch 15 mL
1 onion
2 c. fresh vegetables, any combination of at least two of the following: broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, celery, zucchini, peppers, snow peas or baby corn 500 mL
1/2 c. fresh mushrooms, sliced 125 mL
l/2 c. chicken or beef broth 125 mL
1 tbsp. cornstarch 15 mL
2 tsp. soy sauce 10 mL
2 tbsp. oyster sauce or hoisin sauce (optional) 30mL
1 tsp. sugar 5 mL
1 tsp. salt 5 mL
1 tbsp. oil15mL
1/4 c. almonds or cashews (optional)15 mL
Cut the meat into quarter inch by two inch strips. Mix the cooking wine, ginger root, garlic and first amounts of cornstarch and soy sauce together, add to the meat and mix. Marinate for a few minutes while preparing the vegetables or cook if the vegetables are prepared.
Cut the onion in half and slice. Prepare your vegetables. Cut the broccoli and cauliflower into small florets. Slice the carrots and celery diagonally and cut the zucchini and peppers into chunks. Use the snow peas and baby corn whole or slice in two. Clean and slice the mushrooms.
Mix together broth, cornstarch, soy sauce, oyster sauce or hoisin sauce, sugar and salt and set aside.
Heat wok or large non-stick frying pan on medium high heat until hot. Add oil, meat, marinade and onion. Stir fry, using a wooden spoon for about five minutes until meat is cooked. If meat is pre-cooked, fry one minute.
To the meat mixture, add all vegetables except the mushrooms. Stir-fry and then cover for three minutes to steam vegetables. Add mushrooms and stir fry for another minute. Add broth mixture and stir for two minutes until sauce is thickened and vegetables are tender crisp. Add nuts, stir and serve immediately over rice or rice vermicelli. Garnish with extra nuts.
RICE VERMICELLI
Rice vermicelli is thin noodles made from rice powder. Soak in hot water for five minutes, stir to loosen and break them apart. Drain and serve with a stir-fry. The soaked noodles can also be added to the stir-fry before serving and mixed with the vegetables and sauce.
FRIED RICE
This meal is good on its own or with a stir-fry.
3 c. cooked rice 750 mL
1 tbsp. oil 15 mL
1 tbsp. butter 15 mL
1/2 c. green onions 125 mL
2 tbsp. soy sauce 30 mL
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1/2 c. green peas, freshor frozen125 mL
1/8 tsp. pepper .5 mL
Optional: to make into a meal, add 1/2 c. cooked chicken, beef, pork, shrimp or mushrooms 125 mL
Heat the oil and butter in a wok or large non-stick frying pan on medium heat. Add rice and stir until the grains are separated and coated. Add the green onions, soy sauce and optional ingredients, stir to mix. Add the eggs and stir until the egg holds the rice together. Add the peas and cover, steam for one minute. Season with pepper and serve.
CHICKEN FOO YUNG
This is like an omelet with an oriental flavour. It is great alone or with the fried rice and stir fry.
5 eggs
1/2 c. cooked chicken,diced125 mL
1 tsp. cooking wine 5 mL
1 tsp. salt
1 c. fresh bean sprouts, chopped250 mL
1 tbsp. oil 15 mL
Sauce
1 tbsp. canola oil 15 mL
4 -5 mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 tsp. sugar5 mL
1 tsp. soy sauce5 mL
1/2 c. chicken broth 125 mL
1 tsp. cornstarch5 mL
2 tsp. water 10 mL
2 tbs. fresh or frozen green peas 30 mL
Beat the eggs slightly. Sprinkle the wine and salt over the chicken, mix and add to the eggs. Heat the oil in a wok or non-stick fry pan. Add bean sprouts and stir fry for 30 seconds until almost tender-crisp.
Spread out over the bottom of the pan, pour the egg and chicken mixture over the sprouts, spread mixture out. Cook until set around the edges, and brown on the bottom. Gently flip to cook the other side. Cook two more minutes. Gently place on a warm plate.
Sauce:
Add oil to the pan, add mushrooms and stir fry for two minutes. Add sugar, soy sauce and broth. Simmer for two minutes. Mix cornstarch and water, slowly add to the broth mixture, stirring constantly. Add peas, stir and simmer until thickened and peas are cooked. Pour over chicken foo yung and serve immediately.
Options: use cooked beef, pork, shrimp or crabmeat or omit meat and add extra mushrooms to egg mixture.
Adapted from Chinese Cookbook by Lydia Wang.
SHRIMP SCAMPI SALAD
This is my sister-in-law Diane’s family favourite. The shrimp can be served with lettuce for a salad meal or over rice for a hot dish.
3 tbsp. butter or margarine 45 mL
1 lb. jumbo shrimp,peeled, tails removed and deveined500 g
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. salt 2 mL
1/2 tsp. ground white pepper 2 mL
2 tbsp. chopped parsley 30 mL
2 -3 tbsp. lemon juice 30 – 45 mL
Heat a large frying pan on medium-high heat. Melt butter in pan. When foamy, add shrimp and sauté for two minutes. Add garlic, salt, pepper, and parsley and cook two minutes longer.
Stir in lemon juice.
Toss with romaine lettuce for salad. Serve seafood sauce as a dressing or serve the shrimp over cooked rice or pasta. Makes four servings
CROCKPOT ORIENTAL CHICKEN
My daughter-in-law, Lydia, loves this two minute fix and forget it meal. Add a cooked vegetable or a salad and your meal is ready.
1 whole frying chicken
1/2 c. hoisin sauce125 mL
1/2 c. water125 mL
6 whole potatoes (optional)
Place potatoes in bottom of crockpot and place chicken on top. Mix water and hoisin sauce and pour over chicken. Cover and cook on low for eight hours.
THE DINNER RUSH
If coming home late from work, rushing during a busy farming season or if you need to eat quickly before heading out to lessons or a game, dinner has to be ready.
We all have our favourite quick meals such as eggs on toast or pancakes or a special crockpot dish ready to eat when we walk in the door. Whatever your favourite quick fix meal is, we would like you to share it with us.
Send suggestions and recipes and your name and address to team@producer.com or
Box 2500,
2310 Millar Avenue,
Saskatoon, SK,
S7K 2C4
and we will enter your name in a draw for cookbooks and baking gear. Visit www.producer.comand select “The Dinner Rush recipe contest” for more information.
Entry deadline is Nov. 30. We will share your suggestions in our column in the new year.
BettyAnn Deobald is a home economist from Rosetown, Sask., and a member of Team Resources. Contact:team@producer.com
