Stir Fry on the Fly – May 10, 2013

Like omelets and salads, stir fry is a great way to clean out the fridge.  My husband, John, made jambalaya last weekend and there was left over raw, peeled shrimp and chicken broth.  We also received carrots, asparagus and shallots in our farmer’s box.  It seemed like the perfect opportunity to make stir fry.  Basically, you need some type oil or fat, some veggies and soy sauce or spicier sauce if that’s how you like it.  We also like some type meat and salted nuts.  Here is the basic recipe so you can adapt to your liking.

Harris Stir Fry

2 T. oil or broth (I used fat free chicken broth and added a bit more when it cooked down, but any vegetable oil, especially sesame is great)

1 chopped shallot (onion and garlic would also work, or leave out and add chopped green onion at the end)

1 ½ c. chopped vegetables (I used asparagus, red pepper and

¾ c. chopped meat (I used shrimp, but beef, chicken, scallops, etc. work well)

1 T. soy sauce

1 T. Szechuan sauce (or more soy sauce if you don’t like spicy)

1 T. Hoisen sauce

½ c. salted peanuts (or cashews, etc)

2 c. cooked spaghetti egg noodles (cooked)

Place oil in wok and heat.  Add shallot and stir fry 1 minute.  If using land animal meat, add now with soy sauce and stir fry 2 minutes.  Add veggies and fry until crisp but cooked through to taste.  Add Szechuan and Hoisen and seafood if using and cook 3 minutes.  Taste to make sure everything is cooked and add green onions if you like.  Then fold in spaghetti a little at a time until you get the right pasta to stir fry ratio.  Serve in bowls with nuts and fresh green onions on top. 

I love stir fry now with pasta, but for years I did make with rice which is also an option.  The benefit of rice is that it is better to have as a left over.  I’m not sure what to do with left over pasta except open a bottle of canned spaghetti sauce or make some fresh and serve on top.  But, with day old cold rice, you can make stir fried rice or rice pudding.

Leftover Rice Pudding

2 cups milk

1 cup leftover pre-cooked rice

2 eggs

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/3 tsp cinnamon (or to taste)

1/3 cup raisins

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.  In a medium saucepan, heat the milk and rice, stirring to keep the milk from burning.  Bring to a slow simmer.

In a separate large bowl, combine the eggs, sugar and vanilla.  Add to the milk and rice and allow to cook for just a few minutes, stirring occasionally.  Pour into casserole or baking dish and bake for 20 minutes. Allow to cool slightly before serving.

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