Stir-fry ~ Jaci

We were talking about this the other night after MNO - so here it is!
This recipe is from Food Network Magazine (The "FN" Magazine, as I like to call it) ;) Don't be afraid of the length of this recipe. It takes a little prep, but it can be done ahead and the cooking part goes really quickly. I'd suggest having someone keep your kids out of the kitchen while you do the stir-fry part, as it's a bit hectic and hot oil splatters a bit.

I NEVER marinate things, as I always forget or don't think about it until too late, but this is really worth it - even if you only let it sit for 30-45 minutes while you prepare everything else....

I serve this with white rice.

First, marinate 3/4 pound of protein (thinly sliced chicken, flank steak, pork tenderloin, peeled shrimp, or tofu). If the meat is slightly frozen, it's much easier to slice thinly.

Marinade:
1 egg white
1 Tbsp. dry white wine (sherry or Chinese rice wine)
1 Tbsp. cornstarch

Whisk together and stir into your protein. Cover and refrigerate one hour (or as long as you can while you get everything else ready).

Then, slice up 3 cups worth of any veggie combination - I use snow peas, brocolli, carrots, zucchini, etc.) I usually do more like 5-6 cups and make a little extra sauce.

Sauce: there are lots of options, but I like the Brown Sauce best, which is as follows:
1/2 cup chicken broth (I use chicken boullion to make the broth)
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. hoisin sauce (I use the garlic flavored one I found at Win-Co)
1 Tbsp. dry white wine (I use cream sherry and it's good!)
I also put in 1/2 tsp. sesame oil and a squirt of lemon juice (about 1 Tbsp?) tonight and it was super good.

Then to stir-fry:
1- Drain the marinade from the protein, and place your veggies and sauce near the stove. I have a big wok, but probably any large pan will work.
2- Heat 1/4 inch oil (canola or peanut) over med. heat. Add the protein and stir till almost done/opaque. Transfer to a plate and wipe out your pan.
3- Heat the pan over high heat for 1-2 minutes, add 2 Tbsp. oil, then 2 cloves minced garlic, 1-2 Tbsp. minced ginger (I keep mine peeled in a ziploc in the freezer to use a bit at a time), 2 minced scallions, and a pinch each of salt and sugar. Stir-fry all of this for about 30 seconds
4- Add the veggies a little at a time, starting with the ones that will take the longest to cook (carrots, for example). Stir-fry till crisp-tender.
5- Add the protein and sauce and stir till sauce is thick and the veggies and protein are cooked through (3-5 minutes). If the sauce is too thick, you can thin it with more chicken broth. Garnish with peanuts or sesame seeds.
6- ENJOY!

Homemade Macaroni and Cheese

This is sooo much better than the kraft stuff, and almost as easy! I'm not much of a Velveeta fan, this is the only recipe I use it for, but it really tastes good!

1/2 c milk
2 inches of a Velveeta brick
same amount of Cheddar
2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni (I like the little ones, but the bigger ones probably work just as well)

In small pan, heat milk and cheeses until smooth and creamy, stirring occasionally. If cheese mixture burns on the bottom/sides of pan, just keep stirring, but don't unstick the burned parts - that just mixes them in! Leave it alone and it will be fine. Meanwhile, boil macaroni according to directions - 6 to 8 mins usually. Drain when done, dump cheese mixture on top, and mix! Yum!