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Mix and Match Stir-Fry

Course Beef, Main dishes, Pork, Poultry, Seafood, stir-fry, Vegetables
Keyword Poultry

Ingredients

Choose: Meat / Fish

  • 1 lb shrimp in shells, fresh or frozen, thawed, peeled and deveined
  • 1 lb pork boneless, partially frozen and thinly sliced into bite-size strips.
  • 2 large chicken breasts halved lengthwise, boned, and cut into 1 inch pieces
  • 1 lb beef top round steak, partially frozen and thinly sliced into bite-size pieces

Plus - Vegetables 1

  • 2 large carrots thinly bias sliced
  • 1 cup broccoli, florets
  • 1 cup asparagus fresh, cut into 1-inch lengths
  • 1/2 cup cauliflower, florets thinly sliced

Plus Vegetables 2

  • 2 cups Chinese cabbage chopped
  • 1 cup pea pods fresh, halved lengthwise
  • 1 cup mushrooms fresh
  • 2 medium tomatoes cut into wedges and seeded

Plus Crunchy Ingredients

  • 1 can water chestnuts 8 oz, drained and thinly sliced
  • 1 cup walnut pieces
  • 1 cup peanuts dry-roasted
  • 2 stalks celery thinly sliced

Plus the Basics

  • 1/3 cup cold water or wine
  • 2 tsp cornstarch
  • 2 tbs soy sauce
  • 1 tbs dry sherry
  • 2 tbs cooking oil
  • 1 clove garlic minced
  • 4 green onions thinly sliced
  • 1/2 cup bean sprouts fresh, or canned bean sprouts, drained, or one half of an 8 oz can bamboo shoots, drained (optional)

Instructions

  • Prepare your choice of ingredients from Meat/fish and vegetables I and II categories; set aside. Stir water (or wine) into cornstarch; stir in soy sauce and sherry. Set aside.
  • In covered saucepan cook vegetable I in boiling salted water for 3 minutes. Drain well; set aside. Preheat wok or large skillet over high heat, add cooking oil. Stir-fry garlic in hot oil for 30 seconds. Add green onions and stir-fry 1 minute.
  • Add crunchy ingredient and bean sprouts or bamboo shoots, Stir-fry 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from wok. Add Vegetables I and II. Stir-fry 1 minute. Remove from wok.
  • Add more oil, if necessary. Add half of the Meat/fish to wok or skillet; stir-fry 2 to 3 minutes or till browned. Remove Meat/Fish. Stir-fry remaining Meat/Fish to wok or skillet; stir-fry 2 to 3 minutes. Return all Meat/Fish to wok. Add crunchy Ingredient and bean sprouts or bamboo shoots.
  • Stir soy sauce mixture; stir into wok, cook and stir till thickened and bubbly. Return Vegetables I and II to wok; cover and cook 1 minute more.
  • Serve atop fried or white rice. Serves 4 to 6.

Notes

What we’ve put down on paper is information that is second nature for Chinese cooks--- how to put almost any variety of ingredients together in a stir-fry. Pick and choose as you please, the possibilities are endless. Select one ingredient from each column—except for the Basics, all of which belong in every Mix and Match Stir-Fry. With this chart as a guide, you can create main-dish masterpieces from what you have on hand—just as Chinese cooks do.