5 Meals in 5 Hours: Chicken Stir-Fry

Chicken stir-fry is comfort food for me. I remember eating a lot of stir-fries when I was growing up and watching Wok with Yan on TV (not to be confused with Martin Yan's Yan Can Cook). Stephen Yan's Chinese cooking show was produced in Vancouver, Canada by the CBC from 1980 to 1982. I clearly remember his amazing knife skills and his apron, which always had a pun with the word "wok". Here's a segment of Stephen Yan with David Letterman:


This stir-fry recipe is from one of my favorite restaurants in Ottawa, The Green Door, a vegetarian buffet place where they weigh your plate to determine the price. I always filled up on their tofu stir-fry and was happy when they published it in their cookbook, although I've crossed the vegetarian line and replaced the tofu with chicken.

I'm making 5 meals in 5 hours to avoid the "What's for dinner" question. I'll post one meal each day, in the order I made them. Here's the plan:

1. Savory Pot Roast
2. Shrimp Curry (or you could substitute chicken)
3. Chicken Stir-fry (or you could substitute tofu)
4. Lavender and Rosemary Pork Tenderloin
5. Sun-dried Tomato Cream Sauce on Chicken or Pasta

After making the Shrimp Curry, you can start chopping the ingredients for the Chicken Stir-Fry.

Recipe

adapted from the Green Door restaurant, Ottawa

Serves 8-10

1/3 cup olive oil (I use less, about 2½ tablespoons.)
3½ pounds chicken, diced (or 1 block of firm tofu cubed 3x3x5)
1 cup carrots, thinly sliced
4-5 cups broccoli, cut into florets, stems peeled and cut diagonally
1 bunch of green onions, chopped
1 red pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
1 green pepper, seeded and thinly sliced

For the Sauce:
½ cup water
¼ cup tamari soy sauce
2 teaspoons fresh grated gingerroot
4 cloves garlic, crushed

For the Glaze:
1 tablespoon cornstarch
¼ cup water
To Prepare and Eat Now:
Mix all sauce ingredients in a jar or bowl and set aside. Dissolve glaze ingredients and set aside.

Heat a wok over medium-high heat and then add the oil. When the oil is hot, sauté chicken until browned and cooked through, about 10-15 minutes. Add carrots and cook, about 3-5 minutes. Add broccoli and cook, about 3-5 minutes.

Pour in the sauce ingredients and cook until broccoli is bright green but still firm. Add remaining vegetables and cook, about 3-5 minutes. Stir the glaze ingredients and pour it in. Stir until thick.

To Freeze:
Undercook the vegetables so that when you re-heat them, they aren't overcooked. Recommended freezing time: 4-6 months.

To Prepare After Freezing:
Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Heat and serve.

Tips:
To save time, use bottled minced garlic and ginger. To save money, mince your own garlic and ginger. To save time, buy a bag of ready-chopped vegetables for a stir-fry.

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Cost: $26.64 ($3.33 per serving)

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Other Stir-Fry Recipes
• Ashley from Delish: Spicy Chicken Stir-fry
• Karina from Karina's Kitchen: Chicken Stir-Fry in Peanut Sauce
• Lori from Recipe Girl: Garlic Chicken Stir-Fry

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