Fridge forage friday: Stir Fry
Hello, my friends,
We are currently in the middle of false spring here in Minnesota. You know, when the temperature is finally above 40 degrees, the snow and ice are melting, but you know that more snow and colder temperatures will return? Yeah, that’s exactly where Minnesota is right now. But that’s okay! I’ve been needing some sunshine and warmth in my life right now.
I didn’t get around to making a post for Fridge Forage Friday last week because honestly, I didn’t do any cooking. Zach and I were on a leftover kick and had so much food in the fridge.
This week is different. :) I was looking through our fridge and noticed that we had a ton of random fresh vegetables that needed to be used. The parsnips were limp, the cabbage was from this fall, and some of the pea pods were starting to grow mold. I decided to make what I make all the time when I have a ton of fresh vegetables and need to get them cleaned up, stir fry.
We used to make stir fry all the time growing up, and it is just a simple and quick meal to make. The longest part is cutting up all the vegetables- so I actually prepped those right after lunch when I was still in the kitchen to make dinner a little bit quicker.
Today I used cabbage, zucchini, broccoli, green pepper, parsnip, carrot, onion, pea pods, and green onion. The thing I like about stir fry is that you can use whatever vegetables you have on hand. I tend to have a lot of these vegetables in the fridge most of the time, so this is what a typical stir fry looks like for us. Oh, and mushrooms! But I didn’t have any fresh mushrooms and didn’t want to use our dehydrated morels or oysters for this dish.
When it was dinner time, I started with the rice. If you didn’t know this, you should actually wash your rice before using it to remove the extra starch (otherwise your rice will clump together). Just add the rice to a bowl with some water and swish it around with your fingers a few times. Drain the water, and repeat the process 3 to 4 times or until the water is mostly clear. Then add water until the rice is covered and let soak for 30-60 minutes.
Additionally, I like to use bone broth to cook the rice instead of water- this gives it more nutrients and protein. For most rice, you use a 1:2 ratio. I used 1 cup jasmine rice to 2 cups broth. Bring to a boil on medium heat with a lid. Once boiling, reduced heat to low and cook until all the liquid is absorbed. Fluff with a fork and keep the cover on to keep warm.
While the rice is cooking, make your sauce. I used about 1/4 cup coconut aminos (a soy-free alternative), 1/4 cup soy sauce, 1/4 cup white wine vinegar (I was out of rice wine vinegar), a splash of sesame oil, sambal, red chili flakes, turmeric, ginger, garlic, and some date syrup for sweetness. Whisk with a fork and add 1 tablespoon of cornstarch or tapioca starch to thicken.
Now, time for the fun part: stir-frying! It is ideal to use a large wok to make stir fry but you can use a large skillet if you don’t have a wok. The key to stir fry is to use high heat, and I mean HIGH heat. Get that puppy smoking before adding the vegetables! Additionally, you want to use a high smoke point oil to cook with-I used a combination of ghee and sesame oil today.
Once the wok is hot, add the oil and then the vegetables. I tend to try and add the vegetables that need a longer cook time first (carrot, parsnip, broccoli), then add vegetables that don’t need as long a cook time (green onion, zucchini) towards the end. Because you use such a high heat, you want to be constantly moving the vegetables around. If you let them sit there, they will burn; so use a spatula or tongs and stir/toss the vegetables constantly.
Once the vegetables are vibrant in color and soft, add whatever cooked protein you like. We have a lot of chicken and tend to cook with that, but steak or shrimp would also be excellent. Stir fry until the protein is warm. Add the sauce, and stir until the meat and vegetables are coated. The cornstarch or tapioca starch will thicken the sauce once heated and create a sauce that coats the mixture.
Voila! Serve with rice and top with green onion and sesame seeds. I love making a big batch and either freezing some or keeping it in the fridge for later in the week. It’s perfect for a big family and for anyone who eats leftovers!
Cheers,
