Chicken Stir-Fry - The Mel Way

Here is another dish from Mel's 12 week challenge.  (See my last post for details.)  You may chuckle, or not, when you read the post title if you come from Melbourne.  Melway is the name of the old-style paper street directory from years past.  Sorry, just a childhood memory surfacing there.  Read on.  This is another of Mel's sexed-up meals; well, she calls it sexy stir-fry.  

Mr P. and I have been making stir-fries since we were knee-high to grasshoppers.  Well, since we both left our respective homes and became vego like our assorted weirdo flatmates.  And being vego was just the tip of the iceberg... Oops let's not go there again.  Anyway, we are old hands at it, but Mel's way of cooking the meat is new to me.  So here we go, folks.  

veggies chopped - thanks Mr P.

ingredients:


For marinade:


3 tbs honey

3 tbs tamari or soy sauce

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped or crushed

2 tbs fresh ginger, grated or finely chopped

1-3 red chillies, finely chopped

1/2-1 tsp sesame oil


For the fry:


600g. chicken strips or dice (but use whatever protein you like)

1-2 tbs veg. oil - I used olive, but use your fave

1 cup (140g.) carrots, cut into small batons

1 cup (130g.) zucchini, in small batons

1 cup (120g.) red or green capsicum, cut into fine strips

1 cup (150g.) red onion, finely sliced

1 cup (105g.) snow peas, yep as above (use cabbage if you prefer)


For nutty bling:


1/2 cup cashews, toasted in a dry pan  (Mel suggests peanuts)

1/2 tsp dried chillies, (or 1-2 fresh, finely chopped)

1/2 cup fresh mint or coriander or basil, chopped - I used 2 tbs lightly dried coriander

2 tbs sesame seeds, toasted in a dry pan for a few minutes



Method:


First make the marinade by stirring all the ingredients together well

Throw in the chicken, and let it swim happily for about 20 mins.

Now put your large skillet/wok on a high heat and tip in the oil

When it is sizzling, the chicken goes in, on one half of the pan only

The hard part is now leaving it alone!  Let it sizzle; don't turn it

Once the chicken is caramelised on the bottom, give it a tweak with your tongs.  Put any meat that isn't juicy and brown in the hot spot

When all the meat is looking beautiful and brown, throw in the veggies

Stir it as it cooks till the veggies are as tender as you like

Serve with rice or noodles, and throw on the bling 



Notes:


How to speed things up:

Use 2 tbs ginger paste (yes, from a tube)

Buy chicken tenderloins or already-diced chook

Use dried chillies and lightly dried herbs

Mel says the sesame oil is optional, but we love it so I used more than the 2 drops she suggests

Mel's recipe asks for 2 cups of wombok cabbage, but we prefer snow peas.  Once again, use your fave veg.

gather your ingredients 

Reminds me of a song:  "here we go gathering nuts in May"... etc.

caramelising the chicken

stir the bling together

looking all juicy and delicious 

cast on the bling and eat with gusto - or gutso as Mr P. used to say

Oh, and did I tell you it's the 5th blogiversary for this little blog today?  Who can believe?  Oh the people you meet, the places you go!  Thanks to all the wonderful bloggers and commenters and readers for all the fun I've (we've) had.  Here's hoping for a wee bit more fun and food.