Circle B Kitchen
This dish comes together pretty quickly once you have everything chopped and sliced. If you’re using carrots, broccoli or other veggies that take a while to cook through, steam or boil them briefly before beginning the recipe so they’ll cook quickly in the pan. If using tofu, I like to press it between paper towels to remove as much liquid as I can before marinating it. That way it really absorbs lots of flavor. When making stir fry, I've always sauteed the aromatics (ginger, garlic, green onions) first and then the meat and then the veggies, but lately I've just been giving the meat a good head start in the pan and then adding all of the remaining ingredients to the pan at the same time to cook together. This is a quicker, simpler way to get everything cooked, it tastes exactly the same and ensures that your veggies don't overcook.
Serves 4
1 lb shrimp (peeled and deveined) or chicken thighs, sliced, or tofu, cut into 1 inch cubes
Peanut or vegetable oil
3-4 cups cooked jasmine rice or 4-5 oz Chinese noodles
4 cups of sliced veggies (any combination of zucchini, mushrooms, red and/or green pepper, broccoli, cauliflower, etc.)
3 teaspoons minced fresh ginger (about a 1 1/2-inch piece)
a pinch or two of crushed red pepper (more or less to your heat preferences)
1 large clove garlic, minced
3 green onions, sliced (white and light green parts only), reserve a handful for finishing
1 cup roughly chopped peanuts for serving (optional, but good)
Sauce and Marinade:
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon ( or more) sriracha sauce (adjust to your own heat preferences)
1/2 cup hoisin sauce
6 tablespoons soy sauce
¼ cup mirin (rice wine)
¼ cup rice vinegar
3 teaspoons cornstarch
Mix the sauce ingredients in a jar and shake to combine.
Place the chicken, shrimp or tofu in a bowl or Ziploc bag with 1/3 cup of the sauce/marinade. Mix well and then let sit for an hour or so.
If using Chinese noodles, cook them in boiling water for 3 minutes, rinse and drain. Return to the pan and drizzle with a tablespoon of toasted sesame oil.
Heat 2 tablespoons of peanut or vegetable oil in a large wok or sauté pan over medium high heat (high heat if you're using a wok). Remove the chicken, shrimp or tofu from the marinade (discard the used marinade), and stir fry until slightly cooked through and taking on some color, about 5 minutes. If using shrimp, just cook them for 2 minutes and then remove them from the pan.
Add the remaining ingredients (veggies, green onion, garlic, ginger and crushed red pepper) to the pan and stir fry over fairly high heat for another 5 minutes.
If using shrimp, add it back to the pan at this point and continue cooking for another 2 minutes.
Add the sauce ingredients and cook until bubbly and thickened, about 2 minutes, and then, if you’re using noodles, add them to the pan and stir until the noodles are heated through and sauced.
Place into a serving dish and sprinkle with the rest of the green onions and the chopped peanuts, using. Serve over jasmine rice if not using Chinese noodles.