THE EVERYTHING® STIR-FRY COOKBOOK
Page 26
Add the diced tomatoes and bring to a boil. Stir in the pimentos. Stir-fry for 1 to 2 more minutes to combine all the ingredients. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding salt or pepper if desired. Serve hot.
Garlic Health Benefits Garlic adds more than a powerful aroma to stir-fry dishes. Modern research shows that the same chemical reaction that gives garlic its characteristic odor is also responsible for the numerous health benefits that are derived from eating it, including lower blood pressure and inhibition of the free radical cells that can cause cancer.
Serves 3 to 4
¾ pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs
Feisty Fajita Marinade (page 24)
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon hot sauce
½ onion, chopped
1 cup cooked rice
cup diced tomatoes with juice
¼ cup pimentos
Salt and pepper to taste
Serves 4
4½ cups chicken broth
½ ounce dried porcini mushrooms
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ medium white onion, chopped
1½ cups Arborio rice
½ cup dry white wine
2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
½ cup peas Freshly ground black pepper to taste
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Rustic Vegetable Risotto
Serve this flavorful vegetable and rice dish with the Quick and Easy Chicken Stir-Fry (page 30) for a complete meal.
Bring the broth to a boil. Add the dried mushrooms and simmer for 5 minutes or until they are softened. Remove the mushrooms and thinly slice. Reserve the broth.
Heat the olive oil in a skillet on medium heat. Add the onion. Stir-fry the onion for about 2 minutes to soften.
Add the rice. Stir-fry, moving the rice around the pan to mix it in with the olive oil, until the grains are shiny and translucent.
Slowly add the wine, stirring continually. When the wine is nearly evaporated, add the mushrooms and 1 cup of the chicken broth and ½ teaspoon salt. Continue stirring until the broth has been absorbed. Repeat the process until you have added the last ½ cup of broth, then stir in the peas. Do a taste test and add salt and pepper to taste.
Continue stirring until the rice grains are cooked tender but still firm. Turn off the heat and add the Parmesan and parsley. Serve immediately.
Risotto Rice Types Super-absorbent Arborio rice is the perfect rice for making Italian risotto. The short, plump grains are loaded with amylopectin, a type of starch that helps the rice absorb more liquid. But while Arborio is the rice of choice for making risotto, you can substitute any other short-grain rice if it is unavailable.
One Dish Chicken and Rice Stir-Fry
Hoisin sauce adds a sweet-and-spicy flavor to this simple chicken and rice stir-fry that is a great cold-weather dish.
Cut the chicken into thin strips. Place the chicken in a bowl and add the light soy sauce, 2 teaspoons rice wine or sherry, and the black pepper. Marinate the chicken for 20 minutes. Combine the hoisin sauce, chicken broth, dark soy sauce, 2 tablespoons rice wine or sherry, and the sugar in a bowl. Set aside.
Heat a wok or skillet over medium-high heat until it is nearly smoking and add 2 tablespoons oil. When the oil is hot, add half the ginger and garlic. Stir-fry for 10 seconds, then add the chicken. Let sit briefly, then stir-fry the chicken until it turns white and is nearly cooked through. Remove the chicken and drain in a colander or on paper towels.
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in the wok or skillet. Add the green onion, and the remaining ginger and garlic. Stir-fry for 10 seconds, then add the onion. Stir-fry the onion for about 2 minutes or until it begins to soften. Add the rice and stir-fry for 1 minute, until it begins to turn golden brown. Add the baby corn and stir-fry for 1 minute, sprinkling with the salt.
Add the hoisin sauce mixture and bring to a boil. Stir in the cooked chicken. Continue stir-frying for 2 to 3 minutes to mix all the ingredients together and until most of the liquid is absorbed. Taste and adjust seasoning if desired. Serve hot.
Serves 3 to 4
¾ pound chicken meat
1½ tablespoons light soy sauce
2 tablespoons plus
2 teaspoons Chinese rice wine or dry sherry, divided
¼ teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
4 tablespoons hoisin sauce
4 tablespoons chicken broth
4 tablespoons dark soy sauce
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
4 tablespoons vegetable or peanut oil, divided
2 thin slices ginger, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 green onion, finely chopped
1 onion, chopped
1½ cups cooked white rice
1 cup canned baby corn, drained
½ teaspoon salt
Serves 4
1 cup basmati or jasmine rice, uncooked
¾ cup chicken broth
¾ cup coconut milk
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons raisins
2 shallots, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
Freshly ground white pepper to taste
Southeast Asian Spanish Rice
This flavorful rice side dish would go nicely with Easy Chicken with Snow Peas (page 36) or Thai-Style Cashew Chicken (page 40).
Bring the rice, chicken broth, and coconut milk to a boil in an uncovered saucepan on medium heat.
When the liquid is boiling, partially cover and lower the heat to medium-low. Cook until most of the liquid is absorbed.
When the broth is nearly absorbed, completely cover and cook over low heat until the broth is completely absorbed.
Heat a wok or skillet over medium heat until it is nearly smoking. Add the olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the rice, stirring it in the oil until it turns golden brown. Stir in the raisins.
Stir the shallots and garlic into the rice. Continue stir-frying for about 3 minutes or until the shallots are softened.
Stir in the tomato paste. Stir in the fish sauce and the brown sugar. Add white pepper to taste. Mix everything together and serve hot.
Scented Rice Also called fragrant rice, scented rice refers to several varieties of rice that have a pleasant aroma. Basmati and jasmine are the two most well-known types of scented rice. Originally grown in the Himalayan foothills, basmati rice is famous for its pleasant nutty flavor and fine texture. While not as flavorful, jasmine rice also has a nutty flavor and is much cheaper than basmati.
Hoppin' John
There are numerous versions of this popular Southern dish, but they all contain black-eyed peas and rice. While Hoppin' John is traditionally made with bacon or ham hock, chicken can be used as well.
Cut the chicken into thin strips. Place the chicken strips in a bowl and add the soy sauce, white wine or sherry, black pepper, and cornstarch. Marinate the chicken for 20 minutes.
Heat a wok or skillet over medium-high heat until it is nearly smoking. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil. When the oil is hot, add half the garlic and ginger. Stir-fry for 10 seconds, then add the chicken. Let it brown briefly, then stir-fry the chicken until it turns white and is nearly cooked through. Remove and drain in a colander or on paper towels.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in the wok or skillet. When the oil is hot, add the remainder of the garlic and ginger. Stir-fry for 10 seconds, then add the onion. Sprinkle the paprika over the mixture, and stir-fry until the onion begins to soften (about 2 minutes). Add the celery and stir-fry for a minute, until the celery turns a darker green, mixing it with the onion and seasonings.
Stir in the black-eyed peas and diced tomatoes with juice. Bring to a boil. Add the chicken back into the pan. Stir in the ground cumin. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding salt and pepper if de
sired. Continue stir-frying for 2 to 3 minutes to mix all the ingredients together. Serve hot over the cooked rice.
Serves 2 to 4
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts,
7–8 ounces each
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon dry white wine or dry sherry
Black pepper to taste
2 teaspoons cornstarch
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon minced ginger
1 cup chopped Vidalia onion
1 tablespoon paprika
2 ribs celery, thinly sliced
1 cup black-eyed peas
1 cup diced tomatoes, undrained
½ teaspoon ground cumin
Salt to taste
Black pepper to taste
Basic Cooked Rice (page 228)
Serves 2 to 4
4 ounces shrimp, shelled and deveined
¼ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons chicken broth
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 large eggs
teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
3 tablespoons vegetable or peanut oil, divided
2 thin slices ginger
2 green onions, finely chopped
½ onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, cut into bite-sized chunks
3 cups cooked rice
Fried Rice with Shrimp
This recipe calls for a relatively small amount of shrimp to keep the shrimp flavor from overpowering the other ingredients. If you want more protein, add 4 ounces of either cooked ham or cooked pork, or 2 Chinese sausages that have been thinly sliced.
Rinse the shrimp under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels. Toss with the salt.
Combine the chicken broth, oyster sauce, and soy sauce in a bowl. Set aside. Lightly beat the eggs, stirring in the black pepper.
Heat a wok or skillet over medium-high heat until it is nearly smoking. Add 2 tablespoons oil. When the oil is hot, add the sliced ginger and green onions. Stir-fry for 10 seconds, then add the shrimp. Stir-fry the shrimp briefly until it turns bright pink.
Push the shrimp to the sides and add the onion in the middle of the wok or skillet. Stir-fry for 2 minutes or until it begins to soften. Add the red bell pepper. Stir-fry for 1 minute or until it is tender but still crisp. Remove the shrimp and vegetables from the pan.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in the wok or skillet. When the oil is hot, add the rice. Stir-fry the rice for 1 minute or until it begins to turn golden. Add the lightly beaten eggs and scramble, mixing them in with the rice. Add the chicken broth mixture. Add the shrimp and vegetables back into the pan. Stir-fry for 1 to 2 minutes to mix everything together. Serve hot.
Fried Rice Origins While the Chinese were the first to come up with the idea of adding stir-fried vegetables to leftover cooked rice, the precise origins of this popular restaurant dish have been lost to history. However, fried rice was probably invented in the eastern province of Yangzhou, during the Sui dynasty (A.D. 581–617).
Pork in Rice
To add extra flavor to this dish, you can try cooking the rice in beef broth instead of water.
In a bowl, mix the salt, pepper, and cornstarch in with the ground pork. Let the ground pork stand for 20 minutes.
Heat wok or skillet on medium-high heat until it is nearly smoking. Add 2 teaspoons olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the ground pork. Stir-fry, stirring and tossing it in the pan, until there is no trace of pink and the ground pork is nearly cooked through. Remove the ground pork and drain in a colander or on paper towels.
Clean out the wok or skillet and add 2 tablespoons olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the garlic and ginger. Stir-fry for 10 seconds and add the onion. Stir-fry the onion until it begins to soften (about 2 minutes), sprinkling the paprika over the onion while you are stir-frying.
Add 1 tablespoon oil in the middle of the pan. Add the rice and stir-fry, stirring it in the oil for 1 minute, until it begins to turn golden brown. Add the bell pepper and stir-fry for 1 minute, mixing with the onion and seasonings. Stir in the soy sauce.
Stir the ketchup into the chicken broth. Add into the pan and bring to a boil. Stir in the cooked ground pork. Stir in the brown sugar. Continue stir-frying for 2 to 3 minutes to mix all the ingredients together, until most of the liquid is absorbed. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding salt and pepper if desired. Serve hot.
Healthy Rice While low-carb dieters may shun it, rice provides a high degree of nutritional bang for the caloric buck. Besides being low in fat and cholesterol, rice contains no sodium and is a good source of iron and the B vitamins thiamin, riboflavin, and niacin. Rice also contains pantothenic acid, believed to help ward off signs of aging, such as gray hair and wrinkles!
Serves 2 to 3
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1½ teaspoons cornstarch
¾ pound ground pork
3 tablespoons plus
2 teaspoons olive oil, divided
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 thin slices ginger, minced
1 onion, chopped 1 tablespoon paprika
1½ cups cooked white rice
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon brown sugar
Salt and black pepper to taste
Serves 2
2½ tablespoons pure olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
½ cup Arborio rice
1 medium tomato, chopped
1¾ cups chicken broth
¾ teaspoon salt, or as needed
1 (7-ounce) can flaked turkey, drained
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, or to taste
Black pepper to taste
Weeknight Turkey Risotto for Two
This simple but comforting dish is a great choice for cold winter days. It makes a filling lunch or a light dinner for two people.
Heat the olive oil in a skillet on medium heat. Add the onion and stir-fry for about 2 minutes to soften.
Add the Arborio rice. Stir-fry, moving the rice around the pan to mix it in with the olive oil, until the grains are shiny and translucent. Add the chopped tomato, gently pushing it down with the back of the spatula so that it releases its juices.
Slowly add ½ cup chicken broth, stirring continually. Stir in ¼ teaspoon salt. Continue adding the broth, ½ cup at a time, and stirring until it is absorbed into the rice. When all the broth is nearly absorbed into the rice, stir in the canned turkey. Stir for another minute, then remove from the heat. Stir in the parsley and black pepper. Serve immediately.
Simple Beans and Rice
This simple dish is a great way to use up leftover cooked rice. To add extra flavor, use crushed tomatoes that have been flavored with herbs and seasonings.
Heat a wok or skillet over medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoons oil. When the oil is hot, add the garlic. Stir-fry for 10 seconds, then add the onion. Stir-fry until the onion has softened (about 2 minutes), stirring in the paprika.
Add the pepper and stir-fry until it is tender but still crisp. Add 1 tablespoon soy sauce or water if the bell pepper begins to dry out during stir-frying.
Push the vegetables to the sides of the wok or skillet. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in the middle. Add the rice and stir-fry until it begins to turn golden brown. Add the beans. Stir-fry for a minute, then add the chicken broth and crushed tomatoes. Bring to a boil. Season with the salt and pepper. Cook for another 1 to 2 minutes to blend all the flavors. Serve hot.
Healthy Beans Beans are high in protein and dietary fiber. Scientists recommend a diet rich in kidney, pinto, garbanzo, and other types of beans for people trying to lower their cholesterol levels. Their high fiber content also makes beans a good choice for people with diabetes, as it helps stabilize blood-sugar levels by preventi
ng them from rising too rapidly after a meal has been consumed.
Serve 2 to 4
3 tablespoons vegetable or peanut oil, divided
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, chopped
1 tablespoon paprika
1 green bell pepper, cut into bite-sized chunks
1 tablespoon soy sauce or water, optional
1½ cups cooked rice
1 (14-ounce) can kidney beans, drained
½ cup chicken broth
1½ cups crushed tomatoes
Salt and pepper to taste
Serves 3 to 4
2 large eggs
teaspoon salt
teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
2 teaspoons water
3 tablespoons vegetable or peanut oil, divided
3 cups cooked wild rice
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 cup sliced portobello mushrooms
½ cup frozen peas, thawed
2 green onions, finely chopped
1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil
Mushroom Fried Rice
For extra flavor, try using scented basmati or jasmine rice in this recipe.
Lightly beat the eggs, stirring in the salt and pepper. In a small bowl, combine the hoisin sauce with the water.
Heat a wok or skillet over medium-high heat until it is nearly smoking. Add 2 tablespoons oil. When the oil is hot, add the eggs. Stir the eggs until they are lightly scrambled. Remove the scrambled eggs and clean out the pan.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil. When the oil is hot, add the rice. Stir-fry for 2 minutes, stirring and tossing the rice. Stir in the soy sauce.
Stir in the mushrooms. Stir-fry for a minute, then add the peas. Stir to mix the rice and the vegetables. Stir in the scrambled eggs. Stir in the hoisin sauce mixture and green onions. Cook for another minute to blend the flavors. Remove from the heat and stir in the sesame oil. Serve hot.