by jphilo | Aug 1, 2012 | Recipes
Summer vegetables are stacking up in the refrigerator at an alarming rate thanks to our weekly CSA share. So I’m getting desperate creative at coming up with new ways to disguise serve veggies at mealtime.
The other night, I combined a zucchini, a couple red and yellow peppers, and a bag of yellow string beans (aka: the contents of the vegetable crisper) to create a stir fry Hiram and I loved. To top it all off, I was able to use fresh herbs from my new herb garden, the contents of which are growing like weeds despite the heat.
Here’s my recipe, but don’t be afraid to substitute with vegetables and herbs threatening to overtake your refrigerator and garden!
Summer Veggie Stir Fry Medley
1 zucchini or summer squash, peeled and cut into half-inch cubes
1 pound green or yellow string beans, snapped and cut into 1 inch slices
1 red or yellow sweet pepper, cut into 1 inch chunks
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3 tablespoons olive oil
Heat oil in wok or skillet on high, then turn down to medium-high. Stir fry beans for 2 minutes. Add squash. Stir fry until the outside of the squash starts to soften and then add peppers. Stir fry for 2 minutes longer and then add garlic, rosemary, and thyme. Mix well and sprinkle salt over the top. Stir fry 1 more minute and serve hot.
by jphilo | Jun 29, 2011 | Recipes
Last week and this week, our CSA share has included one of my favorite summer treats – sugar snap peas. Often, I stir fry them solo in olive oil, with a dash of crushed garlic and kosher salt added at the last minute.
But I also like to make them part of a main course, so last week I threw together this peanut-lemon dish using whatever was in the fridge. My, oh, my it was so tasty that we’re going to have it again tomorrow night. I’m already drooling at the thought. So give it a try and leave a comment about what you think.
Peanut-Lemon Stir Fry
1 chicken breast, cut in bite-sized pieces
2 cups sugar snap peas, with tops cut off
1 medium onion cut in wedges or 2 bunches green onions, cut in small pieces
1 sweet red pepper, cut into chunks
1/2 cup raw peanuts
1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 teaspoons sesame oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons Thai peanut sauce
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons olive oil
Combine lemon juice, soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic and red pepper flakes in a bowl. Add chicken and marinate in refrigerator for 1/2 hour or longer.
Put peanuts in a small cake pan and roast in a 400 degree oven for 10 minutes. Cool.
In a small bowl mix together the broth, peanut sauce and corn starch. Set aside.
Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in skillet or wok, medium high. Add peas and stir fry for 1 minute. Add pepper and stir fry for another minute. Do the same with the onions. Pour all veggies into a bowl. Heat remaining olive oil and add chicken (but not the marinate). Stir fry until chicken is thoroughly cooked.
While chicken is cooking, add 1/2 cup of marinate to the broth mixture. Stir well. Add mixture to the skillet, stirring constantly, until it bubbles and turns clear. Add vegetables to the skillet, stirring until they are hot and coated with sauce. Sprinkle peanuts on top and serve over rice.
by jphilo | Dec 23, 2010 | Recipes
A couple weeks ago, my refrigerator was overflowing with stir fry veggies. But when I went to get chicken breasts from the freezer, we were all out. I rummaged around and came up with a small package of boneless pork chops.
Hmmm.
A a new stir fry meat deserved a new marinate. After some searching, I settled on a honey-mustard marinate meant for grilling. I cut the chops into thin strips and let them marinate for several hours in the fridge.
Hmmm.
How to keep the honey from burning during the stir fry process? I would broil them while stir frying the veggies.
Hooray!
It worked like a charm. So well, in fact, it’s time to share the recipe with you. Give it a try and see what you think. And if you modify/improve upon it, leave a comment so others can try it, too.
Honey-Mustard Pork Stir Fry
1/2 cup honey (I cut this to 1/4 cup and liked it better)
1/4 cup Dijon mustard (regular mustard also works)
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 cloves garlic, crushed
Whisk ingredients in a bowl. Cut 2 lean boneless pork chops into thin strips. Marinate them in the honey-mustard mixture for at least 30 minutes or as long as you like.
Wash veggies and cut them into bite-sized pieces until you have 4 – 5 cups. We like pea pods, broccoli, cabbage, green onions, carrots, and sweet peppers. Set aside.
Arrange pork strips on a broiler pan. Broil for 5 – 7 minutes. Pour the marinate into a sauce pan. Heat to boiling and let boil 2 – 3 minutes. Remove from oven.
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive or peanut oil in a wok or frying pan. Stir fry the vegetables, starting with the hardest, thickest ones (carrots and broccoli) and adding the softer, thinner ones last. Then add pork and stir fry one minute. Add as much marinate as you want and bring it to a boil.
Serve on a bed of rice. Delish!
