I've been refining this recipe for a while. My first attempt to share it with the world was back when I was just out of college and my e-mail address was "carrot@bear stonemarche org"; it's in the Callahans Cookbook as the "But wait! The pan's not big enough!" Stir-Fry, but it's grown and (dare I say) been refined since then. (Scary, ain't it?)
I call it the "Produce Department Stir-Fry" because these days, I tend to wander through the produce department and grab veggies, saying, "Hmmm, this looks good!" and then dice them up and add them to the stir-fry.
Ingredients
Note:
The canola oil, cornstarch, ginger, garlic, and teriyaki sauce are mandatory. All else is
optional. There are no measurements because I don't know how big your frying pan/wok is or
how much you like certain foods (or how much I actually put in, to be honest).
Important Advisory: Make sure that everything is chopped up and put where you can reach it from the stove before you begin. Also have several clean bowls available. If you are using any kind of poultry, I suggest that you make sure that anything the raw poultry touches is not used for anything else. This is from a bad experience which I would hate for anyone else to have.
In a measuring cup, mix the hot oil with the canola oil, if desired. (Of late, I've been finding that the fresh ginger & garlic provides enough of a tang that hot oil is only needed if you really love hot foods.)
Pour about a tablespoon of this mixture into a large frying pan or wok and let it coat the bottom of the pan. Add the fresh garlic and ginger, enough to cover the bottom of the pan. Turn the heat on high and sauté them until the pieces are very lightly browned (about 15 seconds). Then turn down the heat low (medium low?) and add the fresh vegetables (except for bok choy and snow peas and anything else that cooks very quickly). When you consider these to be cooked ( don't overcook them!), turn off the heat and scoop them into a clean bowl using a slotted spoon to allow the oil to drain off. Then add a little more oil, garlic and ginger to the pan and repeat these steps with your protein. (Advisory: I do not believe that undercooking poultry or overcooking red meat is a good idea, but everyone has their own tastes.) You may get a lot of water in the pan at this point, particularly with red meat. Just drain it off after the protein is cooked.
Leave the protein in the pan, moving it to the edges. Add more oil, ginger, and garlic, if necessary, then put your canned vegetables in the middle. Let this sit on low heat while you mix up the sauce.
In a measuring cup, mix 1/4 cup teriyaki sauce (or soy sauce or rice wine) with a teaspoon of cornstarch. five spice powder, and ground pepper.
Pour the sauce over the pan, then stir. Add the fresh vegetables that you cooked previously. Add the raw bok choy and snow peas.
Let your nose tell you when it's done. (Just don't let your vegetables get limp.)
Eat with rice or noodles. Serves many.
Enjoy!
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