Chicken on Sunday = Fall Rainbow Stir-fry on Day 3

Continuing our series of Roast Chicken on Sunday means easy tasty meals for the week… This is day 3 and we are using one cooked breast from our Roast Chicken. You can still make this stir-fry using an an uncooked chicken breast. You just need to stir fry it longer to ensure it’s cooked through, before adding back the vegetable.

The idea behind stir-fry is to use what you have. Pick 3 or 4 vegetable with contrasting colors, that remain firm when cooked (not tomatoes), that cook quickly (not potatoes) and that do not “bleed” (not beetroot). I picked yellow beans, broccoli florets and red Italian peppers (in addition to onion), because they made a pretty colorful plate, and I had all of them on hand. Other choice at this time of the year might be: corn, green beans and orange bell peppers. Or green bell pepper, shredded cabbage and julienned carrots… you get the idea.

When making stir-fry, it’s important to have all the ingredients trimmed and cut to size, i.e. ready to go into the pot – that, by the way is called “Mise en place” in restaurant lingo – because each ingredients cooks fast. It’s also important to cut/slice/dice each ingredient into the same size to ensure even cooking. Finally, while a wok is nice, it’s not necessary: a cast iron skillet (which is what I use) works just as well. However, do not overcrowd the pan, or the result will be steamed ingredients, not stir-fried. Much better to cook in small batches! Each ingredient is first cooked separately, and set aside. Finally everything is added back to the pan with the seasoning liquid and cooked for a couple of minutes.

Fall Rainbow Stir Fry

• ½ pound yellow beans
• 1 medium yellow onion
• 2 large red sweet Italian peppers (or 1 red bell peppers)
• ¼ broccoli florets
• 1 knob ginger
• 1 cooked chicken breast
• ¼ cup of the chicken gravy from the roast
• 3 Tablespoon oil (or more as needed)
• 2 Tablespoon fish sauce
• 1 Tablespoon soy sauce
• A few sprigs of cilantro or parsley

1. So… For your mise en place, have a variety of small bowls ready to welcome your cut-up ingredients until it’s time to throw them in the pan:
   • trim and cut/snap the beans in one inch segment. Put in one bowl.
   • core, and slice the peppers in thin strips. Put in another bowl.
   • Slice the onion. Put in a separate bowl.
   • pare and cut the florets in same size pieces. Put in its own bowl
   • peel and mince the ginger, set aside
   • –mince the cilantro if using, set aside
2. Have a large bowl ready, to transfer the vegetables as they are cooked. Heat up your pan on high heat. Add 2 Tbsp oil. Add the yellow beans and cook on high heat, stirring often until they color and blister, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove to bowl.
3. Add onion to pan and cook until they start to brown, but still firm, stirring occasionally, 4 to 5 minutes.Add to bowl where beans are. Cokk pepers the same way (add a little oil if needed). Add the broccoli to the peppers, and cook for an additional minute. Remove both vegetable and add them to the onion bowl.
4. Add a little oil to the pan if needed. Add chicken and ginger. Stir 1 or 2 minutes until the chicken is heated through. Add all the vegetables back to the pan. Add the chicken gravy, the soy sauce and the fish sauce. Stir and cook 1 minute.
5. Serve over rice. Sprinkle cilantro on the plate.

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