Chicken or Vegetarian Stir Fry

After Tuesday's really involved meal I opted for a simple one-dish dinner for last night.  This dinner is light, healthy and super quick to make.  Not to mention way yummy.  For me, the doneness of the veggies in stir fry is what makes or breaks the dish so the order of operation here is really important (I really hate under cooked onions and over-cooked carrots.)   The sauce is very light and really only serves to enhance the natural flavors of the veggies.  You may add more to your taste but remember, the goal for this dish is light and healthy.  This recipe is for the exact dinner I made last night, however, I encourage you to be diverse and creative with your selection of veggies.  I have also listed at the bottom some alternative ingredients to make your dish vegetarian or vegan and to increase the protein content.

Ingredients (in order of appearance):

1 c white or brown rice
1 onion
8-10 mushrooms
1-2 cloves garlic
2 tbsp flour
1/4 c  teriyaki sauce (I used Yoshida's last night.  One day soon I will post my "from scratch" version)
1/2 orange bell pepper
2 carrots
1 c broccoli
1 1/2 c pre-cooked chicken (Tuesday's glazed chicken is super yummy in this but any cooked chicken will do)
kosher salt and red pepper flakes to taste

Cook rice according to package directions.  Wait until rice is almost done to complete the rest of this recipe.  Chop all veggies except the garlic into uniform pieces.  Remove any bones from chicken and cube into approx 1 inch chunks.  Heat oil in large skillet or wok over medium-high heat and finely mince garlic.  Add onion to pan and fry until almost translucent.  Add mushrooms and stir fry until they start to soften.  Add garlic and stir fry just until garlic starts to heat up (you'll know this is happening because your pan will start to smell AMAZING).  Stir in flour until it is absorbed, turn down heat to medium-low and add teriyaki sauce.  Add in other veggies and stir fry until carrots just start to soften and broccoli turns bright green.  Add chicken and stir fry for just 1 or 2 more minutes then remove from heat.  Cover and let sit for a few minutes (long enough to set the table and get drinks.)  The residual heat will finish warming the chicken to the right temp without drying it out or making your veggies too soft.  The goal here is to end up with vegetables that are only slightly softened (with the exception of the onions and mushrooms) this brings out the sweet flavor of the carrots and peppers without compromising the nutrients in them.  Salt and red pepper to taste

Here are some alternative ingredients for vegetarian and protein packed versions:  For vegan, just use a vegan teriyaki sauce

• Instead of white rice use any combination of brown rice, quinoa(low gi and high in protein), and barley(low gi)
• edemame - green soy beans.  They look like tiny lima beans but are way more yummy and are super high in protein
• substitute chicken with extra firm tofu.  It's not for everyone but I enjoy it

Plate stir fry over hot rice and enjoy with a tall glass of ice water and some green tea.  You can feel totally confident in your healthy choice for dinner tonight!

P.S. I'll post the way good, healthish dessert I had a little later this afternoon

Happy eating!

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner!

Dinner was amazing last night! Herb-glazed chicken, stuffed mushrooms, baked red potatoes and garden salad.  Followed by Banana chocolate chip cake topped with fresh whipped cream and coffee for dessert.  Normally I would save this kind of line-up for a special occasion or at least a Sunday but last night I was feeling inspired!  Maybe it was all the sunshine and crisp air yesterday.

The following is the recipe for this entire meal.  If followed in about the same order it should take you about an hour and a half to put this meal on the table:
Ingredients:

Herb-Glazed Chicken:
8 bone-in chicken thighs (skinless)
1/2 onion
2 cloves garlic
sprig fresh rosemary
1/2 c teriyaki sauce
pinch kosher salt
1/4 c BBQ sauce
juice of 1 lime
1 tsp crushed red pepper

Baked Potato:
4 red potatoes
sour cream
grated cheddar cheese
hot sauce
other desired toppings

Stuffed Mushrooms:
8-12 white mushrooms
1/2 onion
1/4 red or yellow bell pepper
1 clove garlic
2 tsp olive oil
1/4 c Italian bread crumbs

Garden Salad:
Lettuce
1/4 orange bell pepper
few slices onion
any other yummy veggies
Caesar dressing

Banana Chocolate Chip Cake with Whipped Cream:
6 Tbsp unsalted butter
1/3 c white sugar
1/3 c brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 ripe banana
1 1/3 c all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 c chocolate chips
1/2 pint whipping cream
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Poke 4 red potatoes and pop them in the oven.  Lay out chicken in single layer bone side up in 11x7 baking pan.  Drizzle with all teriyaki sauce and 1/2 of lime juice, thickly slice 1/2 onion and garlic cloves and sprinkle over chicken.  Place chicken in oven and set timer for 20 min.

While chicken is cooking pull stems from mushroom caps.  Put stems, garlic clove, onion, bell pepper and 1/2 oil in food processor and process until fine.  Add bread crumbs and pulse until combined.  Coat bottom of baking sheet with other 1/2 of oil.  Lay out mushroom caps and fill with filling. 

When oven timer goes off, put in stuffed mushrooms. Turn over all pieces of chicken and glaze with a mixture of BBQ sauce, 1/2 lime juice and red pepper flakes and set timer for another 20 minutes.

Next make batter for cake.  Cream together butter, sugars, egg, vanilla and banana.  Add flour, baking powder and salt, mix until just combined.  Fold in chocolate chips.  Bake cake in a greased loaf pan.  When timer goes off again, put in cake, and remove stuffed mushrooms from oven and cover with foil.

Set timer for another 20 minutes.  Begin checking chicken temp every 5-10 minutes.  Remove chicken when temp reaches 165 degrees and cover with foil and allow to rest 10 minutes.  This will allow temp to rise another 10 degrees to a safe eating temp while preventing dry chicken.

Assemble salad and toss with dressing.  Whip cream with remaining sugar and vanilla in mixer until soft peaks form and set aside.

Cake may take another 20 minutes.  Remove from oven when a tooth pick comes out clean when poked into the middle.  Allow to sit about 5 minutes then turn out onto cooling rack and leave uncovered until after dinner.  Plate chicken, mushrooms, salad and top spuds.

Enjoy this dinner at the table with your family and ask them about their day.  Don't forget to save room for dessert!  Brew coffee while the kiddos or hubby clears the table then plate thick slices of still-warm cake and top with fresh whipping cream (may have to give it a quick whip if it has started to soften).

Don't worry about the leftover chicken, it is going to be amazing in tonight's stir fry!

Happy Eating!

-Courtney