February 17, 2012 - Chicken and Veg Stir Fry

As usual, my hiatus from the blogosphere coincided with having a head cold, and more importantly many activities.  I had Galentine’s day (that’s Feb 13^th, the day you celebrate your gal pals) Dim Sum with my faboosh cousin KT, and then Valentine’s day spicy chickens and went to see The Artist also with KT, and then copious amounts of not wanting to cook due to chugging mad waters (no really, colds need to be drowned).  Anyway, Friday night meant I was FINALLY ready to cook something for serious.  I had thawed some chicken thigh (yes, just one) and I took a sort of “everything and the kitchen sink” approach to what to have with it.  So I grabbed what was available and made up a dish for dinner before heading out into the night of wonder.

Chicken and Veggies Stir Fry – from my brain via what’s in the fridge

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup carrots – check
• ¼ cup red peppers – check
• ¼ cup kale stalks – check
• 3 cloves garlic – check
• 2 packets of soy sauce – check
• Veg oil – check
• 1 portion chicken thigh, off the bone – check
• Pine nuts – check

Step 1: Slice the carrots into small pieces, do the same with the red peppers.  Chop the kale stalks into small rounds. Set aside.

Step 2: Smash and mince the garlic.  Set aside. 

Step 3: Cut the chicken into bite sized pieces. Set aside.

Step 4: Heat a small amount of veg oil, roughly 1 tsp, in a pot or sauté pan or a pot.  Add the garlic and cook on low until fragrant.

Step 5: Add the chicken and allow to cook for a while, until the chicken turns white on both sides.  Add one packet of soy sauce! (seriously, how have I not turned Asian yet?) and allow to simmer for a while.

Step 6: Add all the diced veggies.  Realize you really should have used a bigger pot or sauté pan…but just try to mix everything together without letting anything fall out of the pot.

Step 7: Allow the veggies to cook down to awesome, so you can mix a little more.  Add the second packet of soy sauce.

Step 8: Realize you want something crunchy in your stir fry, look around the kitchen and PINE NUTS! USE THE PINE NUTS LUKE…er…not luke…skywalker…

Step 9: Anyway, keep cooking until the veggies are soft and awesome and the whole pot is simmering and smelling delicious.

Step 10: Don’t forget to heat your bowl and then clean the pot while you let dinner cool to an appropriate temperature.  Feel the Friday genius.

The first things I thought when I tasted this were “I’M GOOD AT COOKING! I WIN!” Then modesty took over and I thought “I want to make this for someone else” and so hopefully someday I will.  

This foodsperiment gets a +8 for taste, +5 for ease, +5 for using just one pot, and +5 for a fabulous start to the weekend! Happy Sperimenting! 

Chicken and Veggie's Stir Fry

February 8, 2012 - Scallops and Mangoes Stir-fry

My walk home from work was different, interesting and new, mainly because it was SNOWING!  As my toes froze and the rest of me kept warm thanks to my amazing coat, I thought about the feel good meals that I could create at home in the time allotted between getting home and the chiropractor (quickly  followed by trivia).  I decided on a stir fry with Scallops that I had left to thaw before work, only when I started cooking it turned into more of a Schezwan type stir-fry than a regular matter stir-fry. 

Scallops and Mangoes Stir-fry – from my brain

Ingredients:

• ½ tsp flour – check
• 1 tbs soy sauce – check
• 1 tbs teriyaki sauce – check
• 3 squirts ketchup – check
• ¼ cup cubed mangos – check
• ½ cup fennel, sliced – check
• 1 egg – check
• ¼ cup scallops – check

Step 1: Mix soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, ketchup, flour, and scallops in a bowl (or a Pyrex pouring implement).  Set aside.

Step 2: Thinly slice the fennel.  If you haven’t already cubed the mango, do that too.  (I typically cube mango at once and portion out so that they’re ready to rock when I am, for lunch or dinner treats). 

Step 3: Heat oil in a pan and fry the egg.  It’s best to do this like it would be a scrambled egg but then just flip it don’t scramble it.  Once the egg is fried, take the egg off the heat (put on a plate or some other work surface) and then slice it into pieces.  Set aside you’ll need this later.

Step 4: Sauté the fennel on low for about two minutes or until it starts to get fragrant.  Then add the mangoes (allow to cook about a minute) then add back the egg. 

Step 5: Add the scallops and sauce mixture to the pan.  Allow to thicken and cook in general, make sure you mix so it’s everywhere.  You know that the whole thing is done when the scallops are slightly squishy, but not too squishy. 

Step 6: Eat and be merry.

Oh my jeebus WOW. Amazing.  The egg and fennel give the dish texture and there’s a perfect balance of salty and sweet.  Wow. Wow. Wow.  I’M SO HAPPY THAT I HAVE THE SECOND HALF FOR LUNCH TOMORROW! I can’t, I don’t, my words feel crazy.  The fennel is sweet and is possibly just awesome.  I don’t know this is one you have to try for yourself.  It’s kind of like reading the Hunger Games, if you’ve read them you get it and desperately can't wait to see the movie for your (and Andy's) birthday and if you haven’t you just don’t understand.   An amazing start to the night! Onward to doctor’s and trivia! 

This foodsperiment gets +10 for taste, +5 for easy put together, +5 for one pot and easy cleanup.  Happy Sperimenting!

Wonder-great!