Our theme this month is easy, inexpensive meals that use the same three key ingredients: carrots, celery and onions.
This time we thinly sliced the carrots so they would cook quickly in the stir fry.
Since stir frying requires high heat, we suggest Dad or whoever your adult helper is do the "wok work."
Serve with cooked rice. We suggest brown rice because it has a nutty flavor and more texture than white rice.
{Makes 4 - 6 servings}
You'll need:
3-4 tablespoons of oil
1 large chicken breast - thinly sliced
2-3 cloves of garlic
2 large carrots - thinly sliced
2 stalks of celery - diced
1 onion - thinly sliced
1 cup fresh pea pods - trimmed
1 small zucchini
2 tablespoons of brown sugar
3 tablespoons of soy sauce
3 tablespoons of cold water
1 tablespoon of corn starch
Lots of adult help
Equipment:
A wok or large deep fry pan
A wooden spoon or silicon spatula
An oven mitt
A plate
Make sure you have all your ingredients
standing by ready to go because stir frying goes really quickly. That
will mean making your rice ahead of time but keeping it warm while the
rest of the cooking is done.
Warm the wok or pan for about 1 minute on high heat.
Have
Dad put the oven mitt. He'll need to hold the pan as he adds the
ingredients. First he'll add the oil. When the oil has a little haze on
its surface the pan is ready to go. Should be about 30 seconds or so.
You stand by to hand the ingredients in rapid order.
First
the chicken and garlic go in. The water in the chicken will send hot
oil splashing so stand back. These ingredients are fried, stirring
briskly from time to time.
When the chicken is white on all sides, have Dad remove it from the pan and put it aside for the moment.
Now hand him carrots, celery, and onions to fry.
The
pea pods and zucchini are more delicate so they should go in after a
couple minutes when the carrots and onions are partially cooked.
Return the chicken and garlic to the pan. Be careful.
Sprinkle the brown sugar and soy sauce over everything. Dad needs to fold and stir until everything has a light coating.
Meanwhile,
stir the corn starch into the cold water until it is totally dissolved.
Hand that to Dad and let him pour it over the top and stir again.
