Raise your hand if you like Chinese food!
You probably noticed I had two hands in the air…whether it is General Tso’s Chicken, Sweet and Sour Chicken…or just about any Chinese take out, it is so good, and I love it all.
I am sure you are aware that many of the Chinese “sauces” for almost any stir fry, consist of these simple ingredients: broth, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, rice wine vinegar and a touch a sugar.
These are classic!
The great news about this stir fry sauce…. it can be used with most meats including chicken, beef, pork, shrimp, scallops.
Salmon and sea bass, too!
Another plus with this stir fry sauce, it can be made ahead of time and put in the freezer.
I like to make a big batch and place smaller portions in small freezer bags in about 1 cup increments.
They stack nicely in the freezer if you place them flat on a sheet pan to freeze and then after they are frozen, you can place them anywhere in your freezer section.
Trust me on this one folks, this is a quick and easy recipe that can be ready and on the table faster than you can call the local Chinese take out.
Promise!
You only need a few ingredients, and initially, you might have to make a quick dash to the store to stock up on a couple pantry items, but if you do ……you will be ready for other quick and easy stir fry recipes and the good news is you control what goes in it.
I am talking to you MSG.
Yuk!
The Captain and I love just about any Chinese food…we particularly love Szechuan Chicken, orange chicken, sesame chicken…well, the list goes on as I am sure it does at your house.
And you can make it just like they do at those wonderful Chinese restaurants.
Have you ever wondered how the Chinese restaurants cut up their chicken and beef into the little slivers?
Uh huh….so easy, I’m telling you.
The secret is so simple you will ask yourself why you didn’t think of it before.
First you freeze your chicken breasts, preferable deboned and It only takes about an hour to get the chicken parts frozen enough to work with.
Then you take a very sharp knife and slice the frozen chicken very thinly…much like a shaved slice of chicken. Just be sure to go against the grain.
The slices are so thin, that you can use it in any broth or liquid and it will thaw almost instantly.
See? How simple is that?
There is another way to prepare your chicken.
I like to use chicken thighs because I believe there is more flavor in the dark meat of a chicken and I like to cut them into chunks and add veggies and sauce.
There is no right or wrong way to make this dish or really any Chinese dish.
It is your preference.
As for the other ingredients, you can find a oyster sauce and a spicy chili paste at any Wal-Mart or Target.
I also like to keep sesame seeds and sesame oil on hand.
I get mine at my supermarket and there are many brands to choose from.
If you try this recipe, please let me know how it turns out.
I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Until then, Have a great and blessed day and make Chinese take out in your own home tonight! 🙂
- 2 chicken breasts, shaved thinly
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1/4 cup canola oil
- 3 cloves minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon minced ginger
- 1 small zucchini, cut into small strips
- 4 ounces thinly sliced mushrooms
- 3 cups broccoli florets
- 1 can (drained) bamboo shoots
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons oyster sauce (I like Panda Express)
- 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon chili paste (I like Sambal Oelek)
- Place the cornstarch into a zip lock bag, add the sliced chicken and shake to coat well
- Add the canola oil to a heavy cast iron pan (or Wok) on medium-high heat and cook the chicken Add the coated chicken into the oil and toss until chicken is cooked through. (about 2-3 minutes)
- Meanwhile, make the sauce by adding all the ingredients to a small bowl
- Remove the chicken from the skillet or Wok and add in the garlic, ginger, zucchini, mushrooms, broccoli and bamboo shoots.
- Stir, cooking for another 2-3 minutes incorporating all the ingredients.
- Add the chicken back into the skillet, being sure to coat all the pieces in the sauce and cook 2-3 more minutes until the sauce has thickened.
- Serve with white or brown rice or as a stand alone dish.
Please comment, I'd love to hear from you.