Anniversary Flowers & Church Lady Cooking

It was my second wedding anniversary this week. My husband, who does many things right, remembered to send me irises, my wedding flower. We took the day off from work to spend together, finishing with a memorable dinner and a fantabulous crème brulée at what has been dubbed, even in its first year, the area’s best restaurant: Bonne Soiree. It was a great day.

I love having our wedding anniversary on the first day of spring. This is my favorite time of year, when every morning it’s a treat to go outside and see what is growing today. The garden is really starting to come to life, as all the bulbs pop up their heads. Those are my daffodils, two rows of sun worshippers following the sun’s progress across the sky. The redbuds exploded over the weekend, just like my winter pansies, and everywhere you look is purple. Except in the woods behind our house, where all the trees’ branches are tipped with that delicate first green.

My husband has been traveling a lot lately, so it’s been mostly meals for one. On nights when I’m alone, I tend to either make meals that focus on cleaning out the fridge or I revert to easy-to-make comfort food, like risotto and eggs. I also like to use the alone time to browse through my cookbooks and see what catches my fancy.

I am particularly fond of those ring-bound cookbooks produced by women’s groups like my copy of Cooking New Orleans Style! by the Women of All Saints’ Episcopal Church. I don’t necessarily like to cook frequently out of these cookbooks, but it’s fun to read the recipes, which always remind me of my grandmother’s cooking. Certainly, these ladies know how to cook.

The recipe for Eggs Benedict in Cooking New Orleans Style! particularly amused me. Here it is:

On individual serving plates, place one toasted English muffin half. Place slice of ham on each. Top with a poached egg. Cover with Hollandaise sauce and sprinkle with paprika.

The good ladies of All Saints’ Episcopal clearly don’t think their readers need any further instruction than this, such as how to poach an egg or make Hollandaise sauce, both of which can be rather fiddly tasks if you haven’t done them before. You have to wonder why they even bothered to write down the recipe at all. But I’m glad they did, because I immediately craved Eggs Benedict and actually made it twice last week.

Despite its down-home qualities — or maybe because of them — Cooking New Orleans Style! is a handy cookbook to have in my collection, offering perfectly authentic New Orleans recipes such as Cajun Remoulade Sauce and Creole Barbecued Shrimp, plus no less than three recipes each for Pralines and Bread Pudding. One of these days I’m going to have to work up the courage to try the Bust Your Girdle Cake.

In the meantime, in case I’ve inspired you to make Eggs Benedict as well, here are the missing components. (I make my Eggs Benedict with smoked salmon rather than ham).

How to Poach an Egg

Use a wide, fairly deep skillet rather than a pot. The eggs will cook faster and will be more stable if they can “rest” on the bottom of the skillet. Fill it to two-thirds of its height with water. For each egg, add ½ tsp. salt and 1 tbsp. white vinegar to the water; this will keep the whites from spreading out so much when the eggs go into the water.

Heat the water just to the point when it’s barely bubbling over medium-low. Crack each egg into a coffee cup. When the water is ready, slip each egg into the water from the cup on opposite sides of the skillet. I have no problems performing this manuever with 2 eggs; more dextrous cooks may be able to handle 4 eggs, or enlist a helper.

Eggs take about 4 minutes to poach, but I generally judge doneness by sight rather than time. The white will be set on top and creeping up over the yolk. Lift the eggs out with a slotted spoon and place on your English muffin halves and ham or smoked salmon slices.

Hollandaise Sauce

Hollandaise Sauce is super-easy to make, once you know how and presuming you have a blender. First melt 1 stick of butter over low heat. Then, combine the following in the blender:

• 3 egg yolks
• ½ tsp. salt
• pinch dry mustard or cayenne
• 1 tbsp. lemon juice

With the blender running, slowly dribble in the butter through the top until the sauce thickens. Yields 1 cup.

Notes: Hollandaise can be kept in the refrigerator up to a week, but it will get very thick. To reheat, submerge the bowl containing the Hollandaise in a pot of water and heat slowly over low. If the sauce is too thick, stir in a tablespoon of the warm water until it’s the right consistency.

One-Hour Marinara Sauce

Was it possible? Had I actually found a way to make a thick and hearty marinara sauce, reminiscent of the sauce in my favorite Italian restaurant, in just one hour? Now, I’m not going to claim that this sauce will ever surpass my husband’s slow-simmered, Sunday afternoon marinara. But it was so hearty, thick and delicious — and fast! — that I had to share the technique with you.

Marinara Sauce

Yields: 4 cups
Time to make: ~1 hour
Keeps: up to 6 months in the freezer

What you need:

• 2 cans whole tomatoes packed in juice
• 3 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
• 1/3 cup red wine
• 3 tbsp. basil
• salt and pepper
• 1-2 tsp. sugar to taste
• food processor

1. Strain the tomatoes, reserving 2½ cups of the juice
2. Crush the tomatoes, discarding cores, and set aside ¾ cup of the tomatoes
3. Heat 2 tbsp. olive oil over medium in a large skillet
4. Saute the onion until golden, 6-8 minutes
5. Add the garlic and oregano, and saute 30 seconds
6. Add the tomatoes (except for the reserve) and increase the heat to medium-high
7. Cook until the tomatoes begin to brown, 10-12 minutes
8. Add the red wine and cook 1 minute
9. Add the tomato juice, reduce the heat to medium and simmer, stirring, until thick, 8-10 minutes
10. Remove to a food processor, add the reserved tomatoes and process until slightly chunky
11. Return to the skillet and add the remaining olive oil, basil, salt, pepper and sugar to taste

Source: Cook’s Illustrated magazine

How to Make Lasagna

When I’m hosting a dinner — particularly a family dinner — or I have to bring something to a potluck, lasagna is one of my go-to recipes. Everyone loves lasagna, vegetarian versions are still satisfying to meat-eaters, and whenever you make it, you have to make a ton.

But I never make lasagna when it’s just the two of us, even though I love it too. Why not? Even if there are a lot of leftovers, lasagna freezes beautifully and reheats well for lunches, so it wouldn’t go to waste. I shouldn’t just wait for a special occasion to make it.

Lasagna seems complicated to make, because there are so many steps to prepare all the components, generally requiring a Sunday afternoon to assemble. But like the best classic recipes, at its heart, lasagna is very simple: sauce, noodles, filling and cheese. Because it is so simple, lasagna lends itself well to interpretation and improvisation. As long as you stay true to the basic components, lasagna can be whatever you want it to be.

Mushroom Lasagna with Bechamel Sauce

Here are the steps to making any lasagna. What you put in it is up to you. This recipe will serve 6-8.

The Noodles

I like a two-layer lasagna, which requires 9 lasagna noodles for the base, the middle and the top (3 noodles each). I have not had a lot of luck with the no-boil noodles. Instead, I par-boil the traditional noodles in heavily salted water, stirring occasionally, until they are a minute or two shy of being al dente. They will finish cooking in the sauce while baking.

I usually go ahead and cook 12 noodles even though I don’t need all of them, for two reasons: (1) some noodles may get torn or stick together, so it’s good to have extras; and (2) lasagna noodles come 24 to a box.

Note: The amounts given in the remainder of the recipe are for two layers. If you prefer three layers, adjust the amounts up accordingly.

The Sauce

Typically, lasagne can be made with either a tomato sauce or a bechamel (white) sauce (recipe follows at the end of this post). You will need about 3 cups of sauce for a two-layer lasagne.

The Cheese

The traditional cheeses for lasagna are mozzarella and Parmesan. I’ve also had good luck using fontina in place of the mozzarella. You’ll need about 1½ cups shredded cheese, plus extra Parmesan for the top.

You don’t have to stop at two cheeses either. Any soft or shredded cheese would make a welcome addition. I’ve enjoyed mixing in chevre and gorgonzola, for example.

The Filling

Almost anything goes when it comes to lasagna filling. Browned meat, meatballs and sausage are all traditional favorites. I prefer vegetable lasagna myself. In that case, the only rule is to choose vegetables that don’t have to cook in water, because the extra liquid will make the lasagna too runny. Altogether, you will need 4 cups filling.

Vegetables should be pre-cooked before assembling the lasagna. I generally choose a mixture of vegetables that can all be cooked together, saving on prep time. Some suggestions include:

• Roasted asparagus, broccoli, cabbage, eggplant and/or portobellos
• Sauteed artichoke hearts, garlic, mushrooms, onion, peppers, spinach, summer squash and/or zucchini

For the lasagna pictured above, I broke my own rule. I combined roasted portobellos with sauteed onion, garlic and very finely chopped button mushrooms. I used bechamel sauce and fontina cheese to produce a rich and meaty-tasting Mushroom Lasagna. It was fabulous, if I do say so myself.

Assembling the Lasagna

Once you have all of your components ready, assemble the lasagna in a 9 X 13 baking pan:

1. Start with a thin layer of sauce
2. Add a layer of 3 noodles
3. Layer on about 2 cups filling
4. Top with about 1 cup sauce
5. Sprinkle over about ½ cup cheese
6. Repeat the layers, starting with the noodles
7. Top with the remaining sauce and cheese, plus some extra Parmesan
8. Cover loosely with aluminum foil and bake at 425 degrees for 20-30 minutes, until bubbling
9. Remove the foil, raise the heat to 500 degrees and bake until browned, about 6-8 minutes
10. Garnish with minced basil or parsley

Notes: Unbaked lasagnas freeze very well.

Bechamel Sauce for Lasagna and Many Other Things

Yields: 3 cups

What you need:

• 6 tbsp. butter
• 6 tbsp. flour
• 3 cups milk
• nutmeg and white pepper to taste

1. Melt the butter over low heat
2. Whisk in the flour until well combined
3. Whisk in the milk
4. Raise the heat to medium and whisk until the sauce thickens
5. Season to taste

Aioli

Aioli is essentially mayonnaise, but mayonnaise with a pedigree. Redolent with raw garlic and olive oil, aioli is synonymous with Provence. It is used as a condiment for many dishes, including simply cooked vegetables, fish soups and seafood. It also makes an unusual spread for toasted croutons or dip for crudités.

Traditionally, aioli is made with a mortar and pestle and a whisk. In these modern times, I am thankful for the food processor, without which I wouldn’t attempt it. The food processor ensures emulsion, which is when the oil becomes suspended in the egg yolk, resulting in a thick and creamy texture.

The trick with aioli is not letting either the olive oil or the raw garlic overpower the flavor. Normally, I love the taste of olive oil in everything, but in aioli, too much olive oil can definitely be too much of a good thing. Many recipes call for all olive oil, but I have found that using a ratio of one part olive oil to one part neutral-flavored oil, such as canola or vegetable oil, yields the best results. Similarly, I have seen recipes calling for 4 or even more whole garlic cloves, but for my tastes, 2 large garlic cloves is the perfect amount. Your mileage may vary, of course.

Aioli

Yields: ½ cup
Serves: 8
Time to make: 15 minutes
Keeps: 1 week in the refrigerator

What you need:

• 2 eggs, yolks only, at room temperature
• 2 tbsp. lemon juice
• 2 large garlic cloves, pressed
• ¼ cup olive oil and ¼ cup vegetable oil, mixed
• food processor

1. Process together the egg yolks, lemon juice and garlic
2. With the food processor running, slowly pour in the oil, beginning with just a few drops until the emulsion starts to form
3. Continue processing until all oil is combined

Notes: If you like, vary the flavor of the finished aioli by adding a little seasoning. For instance, to serve aioli with a Spanish tapas spread, I stirred in 1 tbsp. smoked paprika.

Sauteed Salmon with Baby Potatoes, Asparagus & Lemon Bearnaise

February is without question the dreariest month of the year. Despite being so short, the unrelenting sequence of cold, gray days that make up February always depresses me. To lift my mood, I was craving something that promised the sensations of spring. This dish, with spring vegetables drizzled with a sauce that looks and tastes like sunshine, certainly fit the bill. It was inspired not only by thoughts of spring, but also by a fantastic meal we had recently at local restaurant Rue Cler.

This recipe has a lot going on, so it might be worthwhile to enlist the services of a sous chef. If that isn’t possible, complete the steps in the order listed and keep the vegetables warm in a low oven while preparing the fish and sauce.

Sauteed Salmon with Baby Potatoes, Asparagus & Lemon Béarnaise

Serves: 2
Time to make: ~30 minutes

What you need:

• ½ lb. very small new potatoes
• ½ lb. asparagus stalks
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 tbsp. butter
• ½ lb. salmon fillet, sliced very thinly

1. Boil the potatoes until fork-tender, about 10 minutes, and set aside
2. Meanwhile, prepare the béarnaise sauce (recipe follows)
3. Blanch the asparagus with the tips sticking out of the water to steam until tender, about 1 minute
4. Slice the asparagus stalks into finger lengths and set aside
5. Heat the oil and butter over medium-high
6. Saute the salmon until browned and no longer opaque in the middle, about 1 minute per side
7. Arrange the fish and vegetables on plates and drizzle the béarnaise over all to serve

Notes: When I prepare this dish again, I will probably try dredging the salmon fillets in flour to get a little crust on them when they are sauteed.

Lemon Béarnaise Sauce

What you need:

• 2 scallions, thinly sliced
• ¼ tsp. dried French herbs
• 3 tbsp. white wine vinegar
• salt and pepper
• 1 egg yolk, beaten with 1 tbsp. water
• ½ stick butter
• 1-2 tbsp. lemon juice

1. Combine the scallions, vinegar, salt and pepper in a saucepan
2. Cook over medium-low until half the vinegar has evaporated, about 5 minutes
3. Off the heat, stir the egg mixture into the vinegar
4. Whisk over low until thickened, 5 minutes
5. Stir in the butter, one piece at a time, until each piece is incorporated
6. Add the lemon juice to taste
7. Keep warm over very low heat

Notes: If the sauce gets too thick or starts to separate, stir in an ice cube.

Turkey Loaf with Roasted Tomato Sauce

My husband specially requested that I make a meatloaf, which I have never made before. I actually didn’t think I liked meatloaf all that much, having associated it with dried-out, ketchup-laden school cafeteria food. But I had some ground turkey to use up, and in the spirit of trying new things, I attempted it.

I combined two different recipes to get what I was looking for: something that would have a lot of substance, not be too dry (I hoped) and with an interesting sauce. The results — Turkey Loaf with Roasted Tomato Sauce — were fantastic. We both went back for seconds (which I later regretted, because there were no leftovers). This one is definitely a keeper.

Full Disclosure: My turkey loaf was only about half this size, but I didn’t write down the measurements of the ingredients I used, so I referenced the original recipes when listing amounts here. I think you should use amounts as a guide, not as gospel. For instance, if the loaf is looking too dry, try increasing the stock a bit or add another egg white.

Roasted Tomato Sauce

Time to make: ~1 hour

What you need:

• 1 bell pepper, halved
• 4 plum tomatoes, halved
• 1 whole head garlic, top sliced off and wrapped in foil
• 1 tsp. olive oil
• 1½ tsp. lemon juice
• ½ tsp. balsamic vinegar

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees
2. On a foil-lined pan, roast the pepper, tomatoes and garlic until the pepper and tomatoes are slightly charred, about 35 minutes
3. Let the pepper steam in a paper bag for 10 minutes or so
4. Remove as much of the skin from the pepper as possible
5. Puree the roasted vegetables with the remaining ingredients

Notes: Incidentally, this is a great multi-use sauce that would also work on pasta or even as a dip. Leftovers were abundant.

Turkey Loaf

Serves: 4-6
Time to make: ~1 hour 15 minutes

What you need:

• 1 tsp. olive oil
• ½ cup onion, minced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 medium carrot, diced
• ¾ lb. cremini mushrooms, finely chopped
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• ¼ cup chicken stock
• 1½ tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 3 tbsp. ketchup
• salt, pepper and dried herbs to taste
• 2 slices good white bread, processed to a fine crumb
• 1 lb. ground turkey

1. Heat the oil over medium-high
2. Saute the onion, garlic, carrots and mushrooms for 10 minutes, or until very soft
3. Mix the egg, stock, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup and seasonings
4. Stir in the breadcrumbs
5. With your hands, mix in the turkey and the sauteed vegetables until the mixture is well-mixed and holding together fairly well (it will be very moist)
6. In a lightly oiled loaf pan, form the mixture into a loaf
7. Bake in the 400-degree oven (still heated from roasting the vegetables for the sauce) for 50-55 minutes, until the top is browned and the interior reaches 170 degrees
8. Slice and serve with Roasted Tomato Sauce on top

Note: If you don’t want to do the Roasted Tomato Sauce (although I highly recommend it), you could use any tomato sauce or even ketchup, if your tastes run that way. This loaf made its own “gravy” as it cooked, so it might even be fine on its own.

Pasta with Pesto-Cream Sauce

This is one of my favorite types of recipes: very simple and super-fast to make, but elegant and satisfying on the plate. It also takes well to variations, which I also like. Instead of using traditional basil pesto, you could substitute other herbs, or even use sun-dried tomatoes, roasted red peppers, reconstituted dried mushrooms or anything that packs a flavor punch to offset the silky smoothness of the cream. Also, you don’t have to just use this sauce on pasta. I think it would be equally good on polenta, vegetables, maybe even fish.

Pesto-Cream Sauce

Serves: 2
Time to make: ~15 minutes

What you need:

• ¾ cup half-and-half
• 1 cup chicken stock
• ½ tbsp. cornstarch
• ¼ cup pesto
• 1 tbsp. butter
• salt and pepper
• grated Parmesan
• fresh basil
• blender

1. In a blender, mix the half-and-half, stock, cornstarch and pesto
2. Melt the butter over medium
3. Stir in the half-and-half mixture
4. Simmer 2 minutes or so, until the sauce has thickened and warmed through
5. Season and garnish with Parmesan and fresh basil
6. Serve over cooked pasta

Note: Adapted from a recipe in The Best 30-Minute Recipe.

How to Pan-fry Chicken Cutlets & Fish Fillets

Pan-frying is a handy technique for quickly cooking a thin chicken cutlet or fish fillet that, if cooked too long, might dry out. I call this a technique rather than an entree because usually, you will want to add something more to the dish. Making a pan sauce is a fast and proven finishing touch (and I include a classic recipe below), but other options abound. Relish, salsa and tomato sauce are also pretty tasty toppings. I use pan-fried chicken or fish in pasta dishes, tacos, sandwiches and salads, as well as the basis for more complex dishes like Chicken Parmesan.

To start, prepare the meat. If you have boneless chicken breasts instead of store-bought cutlets, trim off the fat and cut in half horizontally; then place each half between pieces of wax paper and pound flat with a rolling pin or similar implement. Two cutlets will make one serving. (Note: Turkey cutlets can also be prepared in this manner.)

For fish fillets, you only need to rinse them and then pat dry. Season well with salt and pepper, and let them sit a minute or two. This will help the coating adhere better to the fillets.

Now, dredge the cutlets or fillets in flour or some other coating. Bread crumbs, cornmeal and sesame seeds are interesting alternatives. If you want a crisper but higher fat crust, first dredge in flour, then in beaten egg, and finally in bread crumbs, and let the coating dry about 5 minutes before proceeding.

Depending on how many pieces you have, you may have to do the sauteing in batches. I’m assuming a 12-inch skillet and 4 smaller cutlets or 2 larger fillets. Heat 1 tbsp. olive oil over medium-high until shimmering but not smoking, turning the pan to coat.

Chef’s tip: If you want to cook in butter, use half olive oil and half butter. The addition of a little oil will keep the butter from browning too much over the high heat.

Add the cutlets or fillets and let cook, undisturbed, until browned on the bottom. Depending on what you’re cooking, this is how long it will take for the first side to brown:

• 3-4 minutes for chicken cutlets
• 1-2 minutes for thin fish fillets, about ¼ inch to ½ inch thick
• 3-4 minutes for thick fish fillets, about ½ inch to 1 inch thick

Tip: Do not use this method for fish fillets over 1 inch thick. The fish will not cook through in the center before the outside begins to dry out or burn.

Flip each piece carefully and cook until done. Chicken will have no pink in the middle. Fish will flake easily and be opaque in the middle. Both sides should be nicely browned. If you have more meat to cook or want to make a pan sauce, keep the finished pieces warm on a plate under a tent of aluminum foil.

Piccata-style Pan Sauce

This is a light, lemony pan sauce suitable for either chicken or fish.

Serves: 4
Time to make: ~5 minutes

What you need:

• 1 shallot, minced
• olive oil as needed
• ½ cup white wine
• 2 tbsp. lemon juice
• 2 tbsp. capers
• 1 tbsp. parsley, minced
• 2 tbsp. cold butter

1. After the meat has cooked, saute the shallot in the same pan, adding a little more olive oil, if necessary
2. Add the wine and let bubble a couple of minutes
3. Add the lemon juice, capers and parsley
4. Whisk in the butter until it melts
5. Pour over the chicken or fish and serve immediately

Pasta with Vodka-Rosemary Sauce

This sauce, a twist on the classic Penne alla Vodka, is intense. It would make a particularly nice first course for a dinner party, since a little goes a long way. Officially serves 2 as a main dish or 4 as a first course; I actually got 3 main-dish servings out of it.

Pasta with Vodka-Rosemary Sauce

Serves: 2-4
Time to make: ~30 minutes

• ½ lb. penne or similar pasta, cooked
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• ½ onion, minced
• 2 tbsp. rosemary, minced
• ¼ tsp. red pepper flakes
• ½ tbsp. tomato paste
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes
• 3 tbsp. vodka
• ¼ cup heavy cream
• Parmesan

Heat the oil over medium in a saucepan. Saute the onion, rosemary, red pepper flakes and tomato paste until the onion is golden. Add the garlic and saute a little longer. Add the tomatoes and vodka. Raise the heat to medium-high and let simmer briskly for 10 minutes (reduce the heat if the sauce becomes too bubbly). Puree the sauce until it’s just a little chunky. Drain the pasta and toss with the sauce. Off the heat, stir in the cream. Garnish with grated Parmesan.

How to Make the Perfect Stir-Fry

The secrets to a successful stir-fry are organization and preparation, which are also the keys to accomplishing pretty much any complex task. Cooking is a small mirror held up to life (profound, huh?). If you can pull off a good stir-fry, you can probably successfully manage three complex software development projects with deliverables expected in late December, or the equivalent. We’ll see.

Before you even start cooking, you’ll want to get yourself and all of your ingredients organized. When the cooking starts, it goes fast, so you’ll need to have everything ready and at hand. The first thing I do is cook the starch, either rice or noodles, such as Chinese ramen-style noodles or angel hair pasta. The rice will steam and then stay warm while I’m preparing the stir-fry. The noodles will be done fast and then can sit in their pot until I’m ready to mix them in and reheat them.

Second, prepare the protein. I usually use boneless chicken breast for this dish, but turkey, pork, shrimp, scallops, fish or tofu should also work just fine. For 2 people, I use about ¼ pound of protein. Remember, traditional stir-fries are skimpy on the meat and generous with the vegetables. Cube the meat and let sit in a mixture of 1 tbsp. soy sauce, 1 tbsp. sherry and ¼ cup water while you prepare the vegetables.

Choose 2-3 vegetables for the dish, enough to make ½ pound. Keeping it simple keeps both you and the stir-fry from getting overwhelmed. Dice or slice each vegetable into as nearly uniform pieces as you can make them. Arrange the cut vegetables in bowls in order of their cooking time, with the longest cooking vegetables first:

1. Mushrooms: 5-10 minutes, depending on type and thickness
2. Cabbage, spinach, other greens: 4-6 minutes
3. Asparagus, broccoli, carrots, green beans: 3-5 minutes
4. Peppers, snow peas, sugar snap peas, summer squash, zucchini: 2-3 minutes
5. Bean sprouts: less than 1 minute

These are just suggestions. You may want to try other vegetables.

In addition, mince 2 garlic cloves and ½ tbsp. ginger root, and place them in line behind all the vegetables.

Next, prepare the sauce. My base stir-fry sauce is a mixture of ¼ cup chicken stock, 2 tbsp. soy sauce, 1 tsp. cornstarch and 1 tbsp. flavoring, such as a bottled Asian sauce, sake or rice wine, or fermented black beans soaked in sherry. Feel free to experiment. I give a suggested variation at the end of this post.

Finally, get your garnishes together. Chopped nuts, sliced scallions, raw bean sprouts and minced fresh herbs all make good garnishes.

The last step is to prepare a coating for the protein for cooking it. Drain away the marinade and toss the chicken (or whatever you’re using) in a mixture of ½ tbsp. sesame oil, 1 tsp. cornstarch and 1 tsp. flour.

Now you’re ready to assemble the stir-fry:

1. Heat 1 tbsp. peanut oil in a nonstick skillet over high until shimmering
2. Add the protein in a single layer and cook without disturbing until browned
3. Flip each piece and brown the other side in the same manner
4. Remove the cooked protein to a plate
5. If needed, add another ½ tbsp. peanut oil to the pan
6. Add the vegetables in order of their cooking times and stir-fry, keeping the food moving constantly, until tender
7. Add the garlic and ginger, and stir-fry 30 seconds
8. Reduce the heat to medium
9. Return to the protein to the pan and mix in the sauce
10. Stir-fry until the sauce thickens
11. If using noodles, stir them in and heat through
12. Remove from heat, garnish and serve

Sweet Chili-Garlic Stir-Fry Sauce

Serves: 2

Mix together:

• ¼ cup chicken stock
• 2 tbsp. soy sauce
• 1 tbsp. honey
• ½ tbsp. rice wine vinegar
• 1-2 tsp. chili sauce, depending on taste
• 2 tsp. minced garlic
• 1 tsp. cornstarch