Contributed Recipe: Sweet Ginger Stir Fry

Contributed by: Dancer In DC

Sweet Ginger Stir-Fry
serves 2-3

All these measurements are approximates, as stir-fry is the one thing I cookwithout following a recipe! The "main" part of the dish (meat and vegetables)can be changed easily - use whatever you like. Tofu? Broccoli? Waterchestnuts? Knock yourself out! See below for some basic guidlines.

The sauce:
2 Tbsp canola oil (vegetable, peanut, or macadamia would work also)
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 Tbsp toasted seasame oil
1/2 tsp fish sauce (optional, just adds a touch of salty flavor)
1/2 cup broth (I used beef, but chicken or vegetable would be fine)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 piece of ginger root, minced (about the size of your thumb)
2 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp cornstarch
2 Tbsp water
salt and pepper

Coat the bottom of your wok (or deep sautee pan) with the canola oil over medium-high heat. Once the oil is "shimmering" add the onion. Saute until the onions are translucent and slightly brown. Add the vingear, soy, seasame oil, fish sauce, and broth. Stir constantly for a minute, then stir in the sugar until dissolved. Add the garlic and ginger and keep the sauce moving. Then add a cornstarch slurry (simply mix the starch and water in another bowl before adding). Continue stirring until sauce is thick and hot. Give it a quick taste, and add salt and pepper as desired. Reserve the sauce to a bowl.

The stir-fry: Add another 2 Tbsp canola oil to the pan over medium-high heat. Make sure to deglaze the plan from any remaining sauce. Once the oil is very hot, add 2 chicken breasts cut into 1/2" pieces. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and saute until browned. Add one small chopped jalapeno pepper and stir. Next add vegetables one at a time. Between each addition, stir everything up for a minute, then cover and let steam for two minutes. You should add vegetables from hardest to softest. So thick vegetables like carrots and broccoli should go first, soft vegetables like pea pods should go last. After steaming the last vegetable, add the bowl of sauce. Saute for another 2 minutes, adding additional broth if necessary to thin out the sauce. Make sure everything is well coated. Steam for 2 minutes, and then serve immediately. I served this with jasmine rice, which was delicious. But you could use chow mein noodles, rice noodles, or whatever you prefer.