Tasty Tuesday
...... Chicken Stir Fry (and chicken soup, broth, one to two extra night's entrees......how far can YOU stretch it?)

CHICKEN STIR FRY
4 Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
6 chicken thighs w/bone and skin attached
12 mushrooms sliced

1 yellow onion
2 tablespoons butter

2 small zucchini

1 bunch/head of broccoli crowns
about 1 cup julienne-cut carrots
 about 1 cup roughly-shredded green cabbage
1 large tomato--diced
soy sauce

splash of Balsamic vinegar
olive oil

2 cups cooked brown rice
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Have the following ready:
kitchen shears or scissors
large crockpot half-filled with fresh, cold water, spices  and

 celery tops and stalks for great flavor
carrots, onion, garlic
rice cooker with rice and water in it (started before you begin stir frying)
pan for stir-frying

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Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces

use kitchen shears to remove thigh bones and skin from chicken thighs
do this roughly so there is meat left on the bones 

toss into filled crockpot, turn on
Add chicken pieces to big pan with sliced mushrooms and onions
use pan spray if you like and also some oil and a butter for flavor and moistness

saute ingredients in pan stirring often
shake in a little soy sauce and some balsamic vinegar
cook until done and mushrooms and onions have caramelized.
This can be set aside while you make salads or cut up
raw veggies.
With Asian food we often have a raw cucumber salad with a dash of vinegar, 

salad dressing and a tiny dash of soy sauce. But you can have whatever kind of salad you want or none
at all.

 Sometimes I do not make a salad since we have having so many veggies
already.

When everything is ready, including the table being set, bring the chicken mixture 

up to sizzling and quickly add
the quick-cooking veggies saving the tomatoes and cabbage until last minute.
Just heat until veggies are crisp-done and the veggies have turned color
If the pan is really hot you can add your veggies atop the cooked chicken mixture and sprinkle

about 1 tablespoon of cold water into the pan, immediately quickly covering with lid when

the water hits the hot pan and all the caramelized stuff at the bottom.
It will sizzle loudly and put out steam for a few seconds.

Once covered turn heat way down and in a few seconds you have steamed veggies. 

I then turn off the heat or remove pan from it and stir everything together. Then I  add shredding cabbage to it and re-cover

I get out the rice and do last second things.
Then I add the diced tomatoes to it on top and maybe some green onion and take it to be served
immediately. Serve while still hot.
Now for us this made one night of stir-fry for three adults and one toddler (family is visiting)
Some was enjoyed the next day with chicken soup poured over it for lunch.
And tonight the chicken will be shredded, veggies chopped smaller, shredded cabbage and some tiny pieces of cooked shrimp added. (*shrimp is spendy but I only buy a few pieces so they often cost under a dollar----I use it chopped for bursts of taste or to sprinkle or float on something, but it is an optional ingredient)

 The filling will be scooped into egg roll skins and fried.
This will be served hot after draining on paper towels or a towel used for this purpose.
We will enjoy a raw salad and some of the chicken broth will have whipped raw egg which is whipped  with a touch of flour for egg-drop soup and  will be garnished with green onion and maybe a cooked mushroom or two taken from the stir fry. 

There will be some left which we'll use atop a bed of lettuces with a  raw tomato on the side after a quick pan-warm-up for lunch.

It's very much easier than it sounds and quicker. It's mostly getting everything organized 

and ready to use before hand.

Stir fry meals are a great way to use the veggies that come out and go down in price at this time of year.
We had several big veggies meals and salads after a really great produce and meat/chicken/fish sale at our local supermarket.
Shop wisely and cook creatively!

Kathi~