Stir Fry

This post won't contain a specific recipe. Instead, it's just here to give you some ideas when it comes to making a stir fry. When I first began cooking dinners that weren't coming from a box or kit, I started making simple stir fries. They're easy to put together and are customized to your own tastes. All you need is a decent sized pan, some olive oil, some sort of meat (or none, even), veggies, and sauce for flavoring. I'd suggest something to serve it on, too, like noodles or rice.

For example, I made this stir fry a few nights ago:


I used everything that was a left over ingredient from other recipes, including chicken, Japanese Udon noodles, frozen peas, snap peas, mushrooms, carrots, white onion, sesame seeds, green and red bell pepper, and garlic. I didn't buy any of the ingredients for this specific meal. That's why I like stir fries- not only are they easy to cook, but you can put a bunch of miscellaneous veggies together to create something that looks like it was planned.

I used some teryaki sauce in a bottle I'd had for another recipe to give this dish its overall flavor. You can use soy sauce, ginger, or any other asian-inspired seasonings

Other meat ideas include cubed beef, shrimp, tofu, or pork.

This is how I make my stir fries: Heat up some oil in a pan. Add garlic and the tougher veggies, like carrots and onion. Cook for a few minutes till they're a little softer, then add the softer veggies like peppers and peas, and also the dry seasonings. Cook for a minute or two, then add the meat. As the meat gets closer to being finished, add the liquid seasonings. Once everything is cooked through, serve over prepared rice or noodles.

I hope to have a wok some day soon, and I just purchased a stir fry cookbook so I can learn more about other options. I'm sure I'll be posting any good recipes, but this is always a simple fall-back dinner for days I don't feel like getting all fancy with my cooking.