Beef & Broccoli

It is no secret that my husband and I love some good 'take out' Chinese food and this beef & broccoli definitely hits the spot! I found a recipe for beef & broccoli on the Pioneer Woman's television show a few months ago and had to give it a shot. We have since made this dish several times with only a few small changes to the original recipe. This beef & broccoli will definitely be making an appearance at our dinner table again soon!

This recipe will make about 4 servings of beef & broccoli:

• 1/2 cup LOW-SODIUM SOY SAUCE
• 1/4 cup CORN STARCH
• 2 Tbs BROWN SUGAR
• 1 Tbs GINGER, minced
• 2 cloves GARLIC, mined
• 1 lb. FLANK STEAK, sliced very thin
• 2 Tbs PEANUT or OLIVE OIL
• 1 lb. BROCCOLI FLORETS, chopped
• 1/4 cup BEEF BROTH
• 2 Tbs OYSTER SAUCE
• Optional: RICE or CHOW MEIN

Mix the soy sauce, cornstarch, brown sugar, ginger, and garlic in bowl. (...or in the case of the picture below, a measuring cup!)

Pour half of the sauce mixture into a separate bowl and toss the steak in it. Set both bowls aside.

Heat a tablespoon of oil in skillet (preferably cast iron) over high heat and cook the chopped broccoli until just tender. Then remove the broccoli from the skillet and set it aside.

Heat the skillet with another tablespoon of oil for a minute or so to allow it to get very hot again. Lay the slices of steak along the bottom of the hot pan in a single layer (as much as possible depending on the size of your pan). Let the slices of steak cook for a minute or two without moving them to allow the meat to brown.

Flip the slices of steak and cook for another 30 seconds before removing the steak from the heat.

Pour the second half of the sauce (that didn't have the steak in it), the beef broth, and the oyster sauce into the skillet and cook over high heat until the sauce begins to thickens. Add the beef and broccoli back into the skillet and toss with the sauce. Season with salt and pepper as needed.

Serve over rice or chow mein!

Yum!

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Beef & Broccoli

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup LOW-SODIUM SOY SAUCE
• 1/4 cup CORN STARCH
• 2 Tbs BROWN SUGAR
• 1 Tbs GINGER, minced
• 2 cloves GARLIC, mined
• 1 lb. FLANK STEAK, sliced very thin
• 2 Tbs PEANUT or OLIVE OIL
• 1 lb. BROCCOLI FLORETS, chopped
• 1/4 cup BEEF BROTH
• 2 Tbs OYSTER SAUCE
• Optional: RICE or CHOW MEIN

Directions:

1. Mix the soy sauce, cornstarch, brown sugar, ginger, and garlic in bowl. 
2. Pour half of the sauce mixture into a separate bowl and toss the steak in it. Set both bowls aside. 
3. Heat a tablespoon of oil in skillet (preferably cast iron) over high heat and cook the chopped broccoli until just tender. Then remove the broccoli from the skillet and set it aside. 
4. Heat the skillet with another tablespoon of oil for a minute or so to allow it to get very hot again. Lay the slices of steak along the bottom of the hot pan in a single layer (as much as possible depending on the size of your pan). Let the slices of steak cook for a minute or two without moving them to allow the meat to brown. 
5. Flip the slices of steak and cook for another 30 seconds before removing the steak from the heat. 
6. Pour the second half of the sauce (that didn't have the steak in it), the beef broth, and the oyster sauce into the skillet and cook over high heat until the sauce thickens. 
7. Add the beef and broccoli back into the skillet and toss with the sauce. Season with salt and pepper as needed. 
8. Serve over rice or chow mein!

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I got this recipe from the Pioneer Woman: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ree-drummond/beef-with-broccoli.html

Orange Chicken

Ok guys, I'm really excited about this one. This is probably one of the best dishes that I've ever made! Yeah, it's that good. This orange chicken reminds me of the orange chicken at Panda Express, except it's better because it's fresh and you know where all of the ingredients came from!

To make roughly 2 servings of this orange chicken you will need:

• 2 Tbs & 1 tsp CORNSTARCH
• 3 EGG WHITES
• 1 CHICKEN BREAST (roughly 10-12 oz.), cut into small chunks
• 1/2 cup ORANGE JUICE
• 1 Tbs SOY SAUCE
• 1 Tbs BROWN SUGAR, packed
• 1 Tbs RICE VINEGAR
• 1/4 tsp SESAME OIL
• Pinch of RED PEPPER FLAKES (you can always add more if you like spicy food!)
• 1 clove of GARLIC, minced
• About 1/2 inch of freshly grated GINGER
• VEGETABLE or PEANUT OIL, for frying
• Optional: 2 GREEN ONIONS, to top

Start off by whisking up the egg whites with 2 tablespoons of cornstarch using a fork in a medium sized bowl until it begins to get frothy. 

Add the chicken pieces and allow to sit for 5 to 10 minutes. 

While you are waiting on the chicken start heating about 2 inches of oil to 350 degrees F in a pot. 

Then mix the orange juice, soy sauce, brown sugar, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, salt, crushed red pepper, garlic, and ginger in a nonstick skillet.

Heat the sauce on the stove for about 5 minutes over medium heat until it starts to thicken. While the sauce is thickening up, whisk together 1/4 cup of cool water with the remaining teaspoon of cornstarch. After the sauce has been heating for 5 minutes, turn off the stove and mix in 1 to 2 teaspoons of the cornstarch slurry. Stir for about 1 minute to further thicken the sauce. Then set aside.

Once the oil reaches 350 degrees F, use a pair of tongs to gently place each piece of chicken into the oil individually. If you try to add more than one piece of chicken at a time the chunks will stick together and you will have clumps of chicken pieces rather than individual pieces. Cook the chicken in the oil for 3-4 minutes.

Once cooked, take the chicken out of the oil and place it onto a paper towel to drain and cool for a few minutes.

Then, drop the chicken back into the oil for another minute to get it extra crispy! 

Remove from the oil and allow to drain on a new paper towel.

Lastly, toss the chicken in the sauce and give it a taste! (You're welcome!)

Serve the chicken over some noodles or rice and top with green onions! 

Writing up this post makes me want to go make it again! It was so good! I hope you enjoy!

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Orange Chicken

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbs & 1 tsp CORNSTARCH
• 3 EGG WHITES
• 1 CHICKEN BREAST (roughly 10-12 oz.), cut into small chunks
• 1/2 cup ORANGE JUICE
• 1 Tbs SOY SAUCE
• 1 Tbs BROWN SUGAR, packed
• 1 Tbs RICE VINEGAR
• 1/4 tsp SESAME OIL
• Pinch of RED PEPPER FLAKES (you can always add more if you like spicy food!)
• 1 clove of GARLIC, minced
• About 1/2 inch of freshly grated GINGER
• VEGETABLE or PEANUT OIL, for frying
• Optional: 2 GREEN ONIONS, to top

Directions:

1. Whisk up the egg whites with 2 tablespoons of cornstarch using a fork in a medium sized bowl until it begins to get frothy. 
2. Add the chicken pieces and allow to sit for 5 to 10 minutes. 
3. While you are waiting on the chicken, start heating about 2 inches of oil to 350 degrees F in a pot. 
4. Mix the orange juice, soy sauce, brown sugar, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, salt, crushed red pepper, garlic, and ginger in a nonstick skillet. 
5. Heat the sauce on the stove for about 5 minutes over medium heat until it starts to thicken. While the sauce is thickening up, whisk together 1/4 cup of cool water with the remaining teaspoon of cornstarch. After the sauce has been heating for 5 minutes, turn off the stove and mix in 1 to 2 teaspoons of the cornstarch slurry. Stir for about 1 minute to further thicken the sauce. Then set aside.
6. Once the oil reaches 350 degrees F, use a pair of tongs to gently place each piece of chicken into the oil individually. If you try to add more than one piece of chicken at a time the chunks will stick together and you will have clumps of chicken pieces rather than individual pieces. Cook the chicken in the oil for 3-4 minutes. 
7. Once cooked, take the chicken out of the oil and place it onto a paper towel to drain and cool for a few minutes. 
8. Then, drop the chicken back into the oil for another minute to get it extra crispy! Then, remove the chicken from the oil and allow to drain on a new paper towel. 
9. Lastly, toss the chicken in the sauce and give it a taste!
10. Serve the chicken over some noodles or rice and top with green onions! 

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I got this recipe from the following website: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ree-drummond/orange-chicken.html

Soy Grilled Mahi-Mahi

My husband bought a grill a few weeks ago and since then we have been trying to use it as much as we can. Last week we decide to make some mahi-mahi for the first time and I have to say, it turned out pretty darn well! I had never had mahi-mahi before, so I wasn't really sure what to expect, but it turned out delicious! Mahi-mahi has a fairly mild fish flavor so it takes on the flavors that you season it with really well. We decided to go in an Asian direction and were both very pleased with the results!  

To make 2 servings of this delicious soy grilled mahi-mahi you will need: 

• 2, 6oz. MAHI MAHI FILETS (I think salmon would also be good!)
• 1/4 cup SOY SAUCE
• 1 & 1/2 Tbs RICE VINEGAR
• 1 Tbs SESAME OIL
• 2 Tbs GRANULATED SUGAR or BROWN SUGAR
• 1 tsp GARLIC POWDER
• 1/8 tsp CAYENNE PEPPER
• 1 GREEN ONION, sliced

Mix the soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, sugar, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, and half of the green onion in a medium sized bowl.

Next, add the mahi-mahi into the mixture and allow the fish to marinate at room temperature for about 15 minutes. 

While the fish is marinating get your grill ready. Heat the grill to medium-high heat. (You should only be able to hold your hand close to the grill for about 2-3 seconds.) If you don't have a grill, you could cook it on the stove just as easily. 

Once the grill is ready and the fish has been marinating for at least 15 minutes,  put the fillets on the grill top side down. Let the fillet cook for 2-3 minutes and then rotate it 45 degrees. Cook the fillet for 2-3 minutes in this position (if you have a seasoned grill this will give you criss-cross marks). Next, turn the fillets over and cook another 3-4 minutes. Overall, the fish should be on the grill for about 8-10 minutes. 

While the fish is on the grill, heat the marinade in a small pot on the stove. Simmer the marinade for a few minutes on the stove and then serve it as a dipping sauce alongside the fillets. Top with the rest of the sliced green onions.

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Soy Grilled Mahi-Mahi

Ingredients:

• 2, 6oz. MAHI MAHI FILETS (I think salmon would also be good!)
• 1/4 cup SOY SAUCE
• 1 & 1/2 Tbs RICE VINEGAR
• 1 Tbs SESAME OIL
• 2 Tbs GRANULATED SUGAR or BROWN SUGAR
• 1 tsp GARLIC POWDER
• 1/8 tsp CAYENNE PEPPER
• 1 GREEN ONION, sliced

Directions:

1. Mix the soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, sugar, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, and half of the green onion in a medium sized bowl.
2. Next, add the mahi-mahi fillets into the mixture and allow the fish to marinate at room temperature for about 15 minutes. 
3. While the fish is marinating get your grill ready. Heat the grill to medium-high heat. (You should only be able to hold your hand close to the grill for about 2-3 seconds.) If you don't have a grill, you could cook it on the stove just as easily. 
4. Once the grill is ready and the fish has been marinating for at least 15 minutes,  put the fillets on the grill top side down. Let the fillet cook for 2-3 minutes and then rotate it 45 degrees. Cook the fillet for 2-3 minutes in this position (if you have a seasoned grill this will give you criss-cross marks). Next, turn the fillets over and cook another 3-4 minutes. Overall, the fish should be on the grill for about 8-10 minutes. 
5. While the fish is on the grill, heat the marinade in a small pot on the stove. Simmer the marinade for a few minutes and then serve it as a dipping sauce alongside the fillets. Top with the rest of the sliced green onions.

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I found the recipe on the following website: http://www.kalynskitchen.com/2007/06/soy-grilled-mahi-mahi-recipe-with.html

Sweet Balsamic Chicken

When I made this dish I was attempting to make a copycat recipe for The Cheesecake Factory's chicken Madeira... without actually having to use Madeira wine. What I found was that if an ingredient is in the name, you should probably use it in the recipe. I guess I should have known better... So if you are looking for a chicken Madeira recipe, this is not the recipe for you! On the other hand, if you are just looking for a good chicken recipe, this is one to try! I thought the most prominent flavor in this dish was the balsamic vinegar, so I'm calling it sweet balsamic chicken! (Original I know!)

I served this chicken with mashed potatoes and asparagus because I was trying to recreate The Cheesecake Factory's dish. I would recommend serving this chicken with mashed potatoes if you decide to make it because it balanced out the acidity of the balsamic vinegar in the sauce really well. 

To make two servings of this balsamic chicken you will need:

• 1 (about 10 oz.) large CHICKEN BREAST, split down the middle
• 1-2 Tbs BUTTER
• 1 cup MUSHROOMS, sliced
• 1/2 cup BALSAMIC VINEGAR
• 1/2 cup BEEF BROTH
• 1 Tbs BROWN SUGAR
• SALT & PEPPER, to taste
• Optional: 2 slices of PROVOLONE or MOZZARELLA CHEESE

This first step is optional: Place the split chicken breast between two pieces of cling wrap and press the layers together to create a seal around the chicken to prevent the juices from splattering all over your kitchen. Then use the flat side of a meat tenderizer (or another blunt object such as a rolling pin) to pound out the chicken to be about 1/4 inch thick. Pounding out the chicken will help it to cook faster and more evenly.

Melt 1-2 tablespoons of butter into a large skillet and then saute the mushrooms for a few minutes. 

Add the balsamic vinegar, beef broth, and brown sugar to the pan with the mushrooms.

Mix the sauce and then bring it to a simmer uncovered for about 20 minutes, or until the sauce has reduced by half.

Next, add the chicken into the sauce and cook for a few minutes on each side or until it is cooked through.

Once the chicken is cooked though, place it in an oven safe dish or baking pan and top with a slice of cheese (or shredded in the case of the one on the left). Put it under the broiler for about 3 minutes in order to melt and slightly brown the cheese.

It will come out looking like the picture below! Serve it up with some mashed potatoes and asparagus...

...and then top with the mushrooms and sauce!

Yum!

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Balsamic Chicken

Ingredients:

• 1 (about 10 oz.) large CHICKEN BREAST
• 1-2 Tbs BUTTER
• 1 cup MUSHROOMS, sliced
• 1/2 cup BALSAMIC VINEGAR
• 1/2 cup BEEF BROTH
• 1 Tbs BROWN SUGAR
• SALT & PEPPER, to taste
• Optional: 2 slices of PROVOLONE or MOZZARELLA CHEESE

Directions:

1. This first step is optional: Place the split chicken breast between two pieces of cling wrap and press the layers together to create a seal around the chicken to prevent the juices from splattering all over your kitchen. Then use the flat side of a meat tenderizer (or another blunt object such as a rolling pin) to pound out the chicken to be about 1/4 inch thick. Pounding out the chicken will help it to cook faster and more evenly.
2. Melt 1-2 tablespoons of butter into a large skillet and then saute the mushrooms for a few minutes. 
3. Add the balsamic vinegar, beef broth, and brown sugar to the pan with the mushrooms.
4. Mix the sauce and then bring it to a simmer uncovered for about 20 minutes, or until the sauce has reduced by half.
5. Next, add the chicken into the sauce and cook for a few minutes on each side or until it is cooked through.
6. Once the chicken is cooked though, place it in an oven safe dish or baking pan and top with a slice of cheese. Put it under the broiler for about 3 minutes in order to melt and slightly brown the cheese.
7. Serve it up with some mashed potatoes and asparagus, then top with the mushrooms and sauce!

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I based this recipe of one that I found on the following site: http://www.favfamilyrecipes.com/2013/05/our-version-of-cheesecake-factorys-chicken-madeira.html

Butterbeer Cupcakes

A few months ago my husband and I started hosting a dinner and a movie night once a week. We have been working our way through the Harry Potter series and finally finished last weekend (I have mixed emotions anytime Harry Potter comes to an end). In honor of the movies I decided to try my hand at making some butterbeer cupcakes. I found this recipe on Pinterest and have been dying to try them!

If you are like me and haven't been able to make your way down to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter yet you might wonder 'What does butterbeer even taste like???'. After doing some research, I found that most copycat butterbeer recipes contains some combination of melted butter (or imitation butter flavor), cream soda, butterscotch, and sometimes rum. In the case of these cupcake, the 'butterbeer' flavor comes mostly from butterscotch chips, imitation butter flavor, and a little bit of cream soda. Maybe next time I'll experiment and try to work in some rum...

These cupcakes have a butterscotch cake (infused with cream soda and imitation butter flavor) that is filled with a butterscotch ganache, that is then topped with a butterscotch and butter flavored icing. Sound like a lot of flavor doesn't it?

After making them, here are my thought on these cupcakes:

• They are good but not great. Sorry to be a buzz-kill... (Although a few of our dinner guests loved them, so maybe it's just me...)
• The ganache is delicous, but if you make it I would recommend starting off with less heavy cream than the recipe suggests (my ganach was a little too runny).
• The icing was also delicious!
• But the cake...it wasn't bad, but I think it could use some work. There was something about the texture of the cake that I didn't love, but it could possibly be fixed by leaving them in the oven a few minutes longer (The cupcakes were cooked through (a toothpick came out clean!), but they still just seemed almost under cooked in the middle somehow). They were also surprisingly lacking in flavor! In the end, it turned out to be ok because the ganache and icing had so much flavor and sweetness, that it balanced it out.

If you would like to try these butterbeer cupcakes, here is the recipe I used: http://www.pastryaffair.com/blog/2011/7/14/butterbeer-cupcakes.html

Happy baking!

 Here are some more pictures of my cupcakes, because I think they're cute!

How to Stir Fry!

My husband found an article a few months ago that did a really good job of explaining how to put a stir fry together. The article was written like a recipe, but rather than giving a list of ingredients, it explained more about how to prepare ingredients you like and how to best cook it up into a stir fry. So in this post I will try to explain in as few steps as possible how to prepare a fantastic stir fry for two people! ...And the best part is that you can use all of your favorite ingredients (or just use what is currently in your refrigerator)!

To make a stir fry for 2 people you will need the following ingredients.

Protein:

• 1 Tbs OIL
• About 10 oz. of a PROTEIN, cubed or cut into thin strips. Here are some suggestions:
• CHICKEN (breast or thighs)
• RED MEAT (tenderloin, sirloin, skirt or flank steak, etc.)
• SHRIMP
• SCALLOPS
• TOFU

Aromatics:

• You don't have to use all of these, they are just suggested proportions if you choose to use them. (I left out the ginger.)
• 1 Tbs (5-6 cloves) GARLIC, minced 
• 1 medium ONION, sliced into strips
• 1 Tbs GINGER, minced

Produce:

• 1-2 Tbs OIL
• 2-3 different types of VEGETABLES totaling about 3 cups in volume. (I bought a few things especially for this stir fry and used a few things that I just has leftover in my fridge. I ended up using 1 head of broccoli, 2 carrots, 1 can of bean sprouts, 1/2 a green pepper, and 3 green onions.) Here are some produce suggestions:
• BROCCOLI
• CARROTS
• BEAN SPROUTS
• GREEN PEPPERS
• MUSHROOMS
• SNOW PEAS
• WATER CHESTNUTS
• BABY CORN
• BAMBOO SHOOTS
• GREEN ONIONS
• The options are endless!!! 

Sauce:

• Choose one of the following SAUCES. I used the Soy-Sesame Sauce in the pictures, but all of the sauces are delicious! You could even skip making a sauce and just use about 1/4 cup of soy sauce if you prefer that!
• Lemon Sauce
• 1/4 cup LEMON JUICE
• 1/4 cup CHICKEN BROTH
• 1 Tbs SOY SAUCE
• 2 Tbs SUGAR
• 2 tsp CORNSTARCH
• Sweet & Sour Sauce
• 1/4 cup CHICKEN BROTH
• 2 Tbs SOY SAUCE
• 2 Tbs CIDER, BALSAMIC, or RICE WINE VINEGAR
• 1 Tbs BROWN SUGAR
• 1/2 tsp RED PEPPER FLAKES
• 2 tsp CORNSTARCH
• Soy-Sesame Sauce
• 1/4 cup CHICKEN BROTH
• 1/4 cup SOY SAUCE 
• 2 tsp RICE WINE VINEGAR
• 2 tsp SESAME OIL
• 1/2 tsp RED PEPPER FLAKES
• 1 tsp SUGAR
• 2 tsp CORNSTARCH

The most important thing I have found with making a stir fry is to chop all of the ingredients and mix up the sauce before you start cooking anything. Once all of the ingredients are prepared, the cooking part goes pretty fast. If you wait and chop as you go the veggies will probably be over-cooked by the end (although that would not be the end of the world). 

So, step 1, chop your protein and all of your veggies into bite sized pieces. 

Next, mix up the sauce! In a small bowl stir together all of the ingredients in the sauce of your choice (I used the soy-sesame sauce). Then set it aside for later.

When you are ready to start cooking heat a large skillet over high heat and then give it a few minutes to get good and hot. (If you use a cast iron skillet it will take longer to heat up than if you use a nonstick skillet. Cooking over high heat is one of the most important things when stir frying.)

Once the pan is hot, pour about a tablespoon of oil into the pan and give it a few second to heat up. When the oil is hot, add the protein. (I used a chicken breast.) Cook the protein for 2-3 minutes, or until the protein is cooked through.

Once cooked, take the protein out of the pan and set it aside in small bowl.

With the heat still on high, add 1-2 tablespoons of oil to the pan. When the oil is hot add the aromatics and cook them for 1-2 minutes until the onion starts to get translucent around the edges.

Next, add the vegetable that you think will take the longest to cook (In my case it was the carrots and green onion). If you aren't sure, or if you think they will all take about the same time then just pick one!

Cook the first round of vegetables for about 2 minutes. (The vegetables will continue to cook as you add more and more vegetables into the pan so don't worry about getting them cooked all the way yet!)

Then add the next round of vegetables and cook for another 1-2 minutes.

Adding the vegetables to the skillet in rounds helps the pan to remain hot and cook consistently high. When you add a bunch of things to the skillet at once that are cool or room temperature it brings down the temperature of the pan.

If you haven't added all of your vegetables at this point, add the rest of them now! Cook for 1 minute.

Next, add your protein back into the skillet and pour your sauce over the stir fry. Cook for another 1-2 minutes or until the sauce has thicken and all of the vegetables are tender and coated in sauce.

Yummm!

Remove from the heat, serve over rice, and enjoy!

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Stir Fry

Ingredients:

To make a stir fry for 2 people you will need the following ingredients.

Protein:

• 1 Tbs OIL
• About 10 oz. of a PROTEIN, cubed or cut into thin strips
• CHICKEN (breast or thighs)
• RED MEAT (tenderloin, sirloin, skirt or flank steak, etc.)
• SHRIMP
• SCALLOPS
• TOFU

Aromatics:

• You don't have to use all of these, they are just suggested proportions if you choose to use them. (I left out the ginger.)
• 1 Tbs (5-6 cloves) GARLIC, minced 
• 1 medium ONION, sliced into strips
• 1 Tbs GINGER, minced

Produce:

• 1-2 Tbs OIL
• 2-3 different types of VEGETABLES totaling 3-4 cups in volume. (I bought a few things especially for this stir fry and used a few things that I just has leftover in my fridge. I ended up using 1 head of broccoli, 2 carrots, 1 can of bean sprouts, 1/2 a green pepper, and 3 green onions.) Here are some produce suggestions:
• BROCCOLI
• CARROTS
• BEAN SPROUTS
• GREEN PEPPERS
• MUSHROOMS
• SNOW PEAS
• WATER CHESTNUTS
• BABY CORN
• BAMBOO SHOOTS
• GREEN ONIONS
• The options are endless!!! 

Sauce:

• Choose one of the following SAUCES. I used the Soy-Sesame Sauce in the pictures, but all of the sauces are delicious! You could even skip making a sauce and just mix about 1/4 cup of soy sauce with 2 tsp of corn starch if you prefer that!
• Lemon Sauce
• 1/4 cup LEMON JUICE
• 1/4 cup CHICKEN BROTH
• 1 Tbs SOY SAUCE
• 2 Tbs SUGAR
• 2 tsp CORNSTARCH
• Sweet & Sour Sauce
• 1/4 cup CHICKEN BROTH
• 2 Tbs SOY SAUCE
• 2 Tbs CIDER, BALSAMIC, or RICE WINE VINEGAR
• 1 Tbs BROWN SUGAR
• 1/2 tsp RED PEPPER FLAKES
• 2 tsp CORNSTARCH
• Soy-Sesame Sauce
• 1/4 cup CHICKEN BROTH
• 1/4 cup SOY SAUCE 
• 2 tsp RICE WINE VINEGAR
• 2 tsp SESAME OIL
• 1/2 tsp RED PEPPER FLAKES
• 1 tsp SUGAR
• 2 tsp CORNSTARCH

Directions:

1. Chop your protein and all of your veggies into bite sized pieces. 
• The most important thing I have found with making a stir fry is to chop all of the ingredients and mix up the sauce before you start cooking anything. Once all of the ingredients are prepared the cooking part goes pretty fast. If you wait and chop as you go the veggies will probably be over-cooked by the end (although that would not be the end of the world). 
2. In a small bowl mix together all of the ingredients in the sauce of your choice. Then set it aside for later.
3. When you are ready to start cooking heat a large skillet over high heat and then give it a few minutes to get good and hot. 
• If you use a cast iron skillet it will take longer to heat up than if you use a nonstick skillet.
• Cooking over high heat is one of the most important things when stir frying.
4. Once the pan is hot, pour about a tablespoon of oil into the pan and give it a few second to heat up. When the oil is hot, add the protein. Cook the protein for 2-3 minutes, or until the protein is cooked through. Once cooked, take the protein out of the pan and set it aside in small bowl. 
5. With the heat still on high, add 1-2 tablespoons of oil to the pan. When the oil is hot add the aromatics and cook them for 1-2 minutes until the onion starts to get translucent around the edges.
6. Next, add the vegetable that you think will take the longest to cook. (If you aren't sure, or if you think they will all take about the same time then just pick one!) Cook the first round of vegetables for about 2 minutes. 
• Adding the vegetables to the skillet in rounds helps the pan to remain hot and cook consistently high. When you add a bunch of things to the skillet at once that are cool or room temperature it brings down the temperature of the pan.
7. Then add the next round of vegetables and cook for another 1-2 minutes. 
8. If you haven't added all of your vegetables at this point, add the rest of them now! Cook for 1 more minute.
9. Next, add your protein back into the skillet and then pour your sauce over the stir fry. Cook for another 1-2 minutes or until the sauce has thicken and all of the vegetables are tender and coated in sauce.
10. Remove from the heat, serve over rice, and enjoy!

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My husband found this recipe for how to stir fry on the following website: http://allrecipes.com/howto/super-easy-stir-fry/