The one place it’s okay to clash colors is in the kitchen. In a stir fry anything goes so mix and match your favorite veggies. It’s all about the crunch, from the peppers and onions to the noodles and nuts on top.
I’m not a worldly Asian food fan but I enjoy sautéing a simple healthy meal with chicken and vegetables. This one is full of flavor from the herbs and red wine. Chinese noodles and cashews give you a nice salty finish.
I love doing stir fry dishes Chinese style in a smoking hot peanut oil coated traditional wok but right now mine is packed away in storage. So for now a non-stick skillet will work.
Ingredients
2 Tbsp. dark sesame oil
3 boneless chicken thighs (cut into 1 inch pieces)
1 medium red onion
2 C bell pepper (combine red, yellow, and orange)
1 C fresh mushrooms
½ lb fresh sugar snap peas
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. red pepper flakes
1 tsp. fresh rosemary
3 Tbsp. fresh parsley
3 Tbsp. fresh chives
3 tsp. sesame seeds
¼ C Pinot Noir red wine
½ C Chow Mein noodles
½ C cashew halves
long grain rice such as Jasmine, Basmati, or Uncle Ben’s (cook according to package directions)
Directions
Heat a large skillet on medium high heat. Pour in sesame oil. Once hot, add chicken. Stir constantly. Cook for about 5 minutes.
Then toss in onion, peppers, and mushrooms. Saute 2 or 3 minutes. Then add peas, salt, pepper, and herbs. Stir in sesame seeds. Cook 2 to 3 minutes longer.
Turn heat down to medium. Pour in wine and allow it to cook down until chicken is no longer pink. Serve over rice and top with noodles and cashews.
There are so many variations with stir fry dishes. You can use peanut oil instead of sesame or a combination. Peanut oil is pretty subtle, where as dark sesame is quite bold.
If you prefer not to use wine try fresh orange juice and some zest or chicken stock. Green onions can be substituted for chives. Cashews are soft and salty. Noodles and Chinese food just go together in my palate. You can also give this a drizzle of soy sauce if you like. Pour yourself a glass of Pinot and enjoy...
There are no rules, no right or wrong, which is the way I like to cook! Forget take-out food and instead take out whatever meat you have in the freezer like shrimp, beef, or pork. Combine with a few vegetables from your frig, whatever you have on hand. You can even buy stir fry sauces in the store to make it really easy.
Cruise through your local Asian food market for some culinary inspiration. I did that recently and discovered a few new ingredients that I’m experimenting with like plum sauce and coconut cream. But I’ll save those tasty results for another post!
What Chinese dish do you enjoy making in your kitchen? What's the most unusual Asian ingredient you've used or tasted?
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