Wednesday, August 31, 2005

Stir Fry Ginger Chicken & Snow Peas

Stir Fry Ginger Chicken With Snow Peas & Mushrooms

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: less than 10 minutes

Serves 2

Ingredients:
1 tsp olive oil
1 small onion, coarsely chopped
2 cups of sliced shitake mushrooms (I used fresh, but next time I'll use dried and reconstitute them. The flavor is stronger and I can use the broth to flavor the dish)
1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 chicken breasts, sliced thin
3-4 cups of snow peas
2 tbsp sesame oil
1/4 cup lite soy sauce
1/4 cup sherry
1 tbsp Asian garlic chili sauce/paste

Directions:
1. Prepare all the ingredients ahead of cooking. This actually takes longer than it does to cook the meal.

2. Heat a heavy skillet or wok over high heat. Add the oil and saute the mushrooms and onions for 2-3 minutes until they start to brown. Turn the heat down a bit and add the ginger and garlic and just toss until you can smell the aroma - less than a minute.

3. Add the chicken and saute for 2 minutes or so per side. They will still be pink in the middle but you still have to add the snow peas! So I promise, the chicken will be cooked by the time you're done. It just won't be rubbery.

4. Add the snowpeas and toss for 2-3 minutes. Add the liquids (soy sauce, sesame oil & sherry) and continue to stir/toss until the snow peas are tender crisp. Now's the time to add the Asian chili sauce if you want some heat. If the snow peas are not as tender as you would like, lower the heat and cover for a couple of extra minutes. Remember though they're supposed to still have some crunch to them.

Before the South Beach Diet, I would have served these over a bed of white rice.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi! Thanks for the recipe - I tried it tonight and it was soooo simple! The only thing I wondered about was when to add the sesame oil...I just added it when I added the soy sauce and sherry. So tasty!

Ruth Daniels said...

You're right to add the sesame oil with the soy and sherry. It's just to flavor the dish and high heat will scorch it.

Glenlovesfood said...

Next time try sake or rice wine, I prefer sake. It has the same effect as a good red wine in French cooking. I have not made your recipe yet, but this is similar to a dish I make with whole green beans. I am printing out your crab one to do tonight, and this one to do Friday. Thanks for sharing!