stir fry!

The other day I made my first stir fry at home!  Seems like a small accomplishment, but since I'm not a terribly experienced cook, many things are an accomplishment that might not be to others.

However, perhaps you're in the same boat as I am and never tried this before.

Well, I don't have any pictures of the process to share (got too excited), but perhaps I can share the summary version here and a more detailed recipe/method later when I can talk the mister into taking pictures.

1.  Gather all the veggies and meat you want.  Just about anything goes.  I used whatever I had in the fridge with our farmshare veggies.  I had carrots, green bell peppers, little onions that I chopped up, chicken, big spinach leaves, and bok choy.

2.  Cut up all your veggies into bite sized pieces.  For the big leaves like spinach and bok choy, cut those up too, but set them aside.  They go into the skillet or wok last.

3.  Heat up some sesame oil in your pan.  If you happen to have fresh ginger or fresh garlic (I didn't), the earlier you add it, the better.  You don't want to burn it.  Add the veggies (minus the leaf-y things).

4.  Stir around a bit until everything looks sizzling and partially cooked.  Cover with a lid for a few minutes.  Maybe 2-3 minutes.  Add the chicken before you cover if you're using any.  We did.

5.  If you need to, add a little water.  I didn't need to, but it could be nice to steam the veggies a little.  Add the leaves and cover the skillet or wok again.  You only want to cook these until the leaves wilt.  Don't cook too long or everything will be soggy and unappetizing.

6.  When the leaves are wilted, take it off the burner.  Add some soy sauce.  Add some organic peanut butter (it's more runny than the commercial stuff and works as a make shift peanut sauce).  Add a little honey for some sweetness. Season with these things to taste.  Stir to mix.

7.  Serve warm over pasta or rice.

Voila!

Easy enough, right?

Right. I thought so.

Turned out to be a hit with the husband, although we have differing levels of comfort with the amounts of soy sauce that should be added. Ah, well.  I added a little more to mine after it was on my plate!