Asian Stir-fry

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{This post is prior to my gluten-free days. Please use caution when following this recipe if you must eat gluten-free. Always check individual ingredients to ensure they're gluten-free before consuming.}

I have been making this chicken and veggie stir-fry for a while and it always turns out perfect. It so easy because everything goes in one skillet and you basically have to stand there and stir. [hence the name: STIR-fry. Ha.] 

So the name of my blog of "Food From My Thoughts" which probably doesn't make a lot of sense to most people. However, it's completely accurate. I really don't like having to use recipes. Almost all of the stuff that I cook literally comes out of my head. Like I may see something or eat something that sparks my interest and then I cook something similar. I really enjoy being creative in the kitchen... which is probably why I'm not a great baker. I feel constrained and bored when I use recipes. 

I usually write stuff down AFTER I make it, which is what I had to do with this recipe. I never really have written this down before. I just know what goes in it and when to add more stuff. 

I basically say all of that to say: BE CREATIVE!! Don't feel limited to doing everything by the book [or the blog...]. If you don't like mushrooms, but you like carrots, swap them out. I personally am allergic to carrots which is why they are not in this recipe. [So for those keeping track at home, so far I have revealed that I am allergic to tomatoes and carrots. Don't worry, there's more to come.]

Ingredients: (Left to right)

• Brown rice
• Bragg's Liquid Aminos (alternative to soy sauce)
• Low Sodium Soy sauce
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 2 Zucchini (used all of it)
• 1 Red Bell Pepper (used most of it)
• Cooked, packaged chicken (3/4 cup)
• 1 small onion (used most of it)
• 1 floret of broccoli (used most of it)
• Sliced fresh mushrooms (used a handful)
• Minced garlic
• Garlic powder

So this looks like a lot of ingredients, but I only had to buy the fresh veggies and the chicken. I already had everything else in the kitchen. 

Ok so you need to slice the onion into semi-circles, the red bell pepper into strips, the zucchini into quarter pieces (pic to follow), and the broccoli into smaller, more bite-sized pieces. 

So you start by adding 1 tbsp of EVOO (extra virgin olive oil.... I got tired of typing it out) and 1 tsp minced garlic to a skillet that is on medium-high heat. Stir that around the pan, kinda coating it. Let that cook for a minute maybe just so that it starts roasting the garlic. Add the onion and cook 6-7 mins until its tender but not brown yet. 

Add mushroom. Cook 4-5 min. 

Add red bell pepper. Cook 2 minutes. 

This is what it should look like when you add the bell pepper. 

Next, you add the broccoli. Cook about 1 minute. I like the broccoli and zucchini to be still crunchy at the end so I don't really cook it super long. Like I said, be creative and cook it as long as you want to. 

This is what I meant by cutting the zucchini into quarter pieces. Little triangles.

Add the zucchini to the skillet. Also add 1/2 tbsp of EVOO and lightly shake garlic powder over the whole skillet. Cook all this for about 5 minutes. Make sure you move everything around every so often so that everything cooks evenly. 

So all your veggies are in now. Should be very colorful. Possibly even pretty. I mean, I think it's pretty. 

Next you need to add the chicken. 

I added 3/4 cup of diced, cooked chicken. I like the chicken to almost blend in with the veggies so I don't want huge pieces of it.

When you add the chicken, you are also going to add 3 tbsp of soy sauce. You can add more if you would like, but it kinda get too salty for my taste if I add more than that right then. Remember, you can always add more. You can't take it back out. 

Cook all that for 5-6 minutes. Stirring often. 

Once that finishes, everything is done. 

We sometimes/usually serve it over brown rice. It just adds some more heartiness to this delicious dish. Also, we spray some Bragg's Liquid Aminos on top at the end. It tastes just like soy sauce, but doesn't have all the sodium because it is made of aminos, which are the individual building blocks that compose protein. You can typically find it at a speciality grocery store, like Fresh Market or Whole Foods. You can also order it online. It's pretty popular now. 

And there ya go. A healthy meal that taste delicious! The best part, it's simple and fairly quick to make!

Check out a printable version of the recipe HERE

Try it. Let me know what you think!

Much Love,

KG, RD