Spur of the Moment Stir Fry

Sarah and I went car shopping today. She wants a hybrid, and I'm thinking of getting trading in my gas-enemy, bad-karma SUV. (I still love it, but, well, uh, it's complicated...) I fell in love with a Fit.

When we came home, I did a few small chores, caught up on last week's *new* episode of Grey's Anatomy (my only true tv addiction), and then realized:
a) I have one more day of work left
b) I have no food for dinner tonight or lunch tomorrow
c) I also need to make sure my laundry is done so I have clean scrubs and sheets

Obviously one of those was an immediate priority.

Here is what I threw together (literally) with the musical accompaniment of Van Morrison. I thought it was purdy good for a shot in the dark.


Spur of the Moment Stir Fry * About a pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized morsels
* 1 broccoli flower, cut into smaller pieces (yes, including the tree trunks AND leaves)
* 1 green pepper, deseeded and cut into think 1" pieces
* 1/2 shallot
* 3-4 cloves garlic
* 1 teaspoon (+/-) red pepper flakes
* White pepper
* Black pepper
* Tumeric
* Dry roasted peanuts (cashews probably would have been better, but it's what my pantry had)
* 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
* 1 lime
* A nice warm pot of cooked rice
* Musical muse of choice

1. Turn on music of choice.
2. Wash the chicken, and pat dry with a paper towel. Season generously with white pepper.
3. Head 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat.
4. Add the chicken and stir-fry until the chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken from the pan and wipe the pan out with a paper towel.
5. Heat another tablespoon of oil over medium heat. Add the onions, pepper, broccoli, garlic, and shallots to the pan. Start moving them around.
6. After about 3 minutes, add the teaspoon (or so) or red pepper flakes, sprinkle over some black pepper, the lime juice, and 2 large pinches of tumeric. Stir in well. Add peanuts proportionally to taste- I had somewhere between 1/8 and 1/4 of a cup. (I think. This is spur of the moment, remember?)
7. Taste. Adjust spicing as necessary, then serve over hot rice.

* note: dancing like nobody is watching might help make this recipe better.

Chicken and Basil Stir Fry with Peanut Sauce

Hospitals are not noted in cookbooks for their food. What have I found that is G-F at my hospital? The salad bar and the once-a-week baked potato bar (I bring my own butter). Each week I have "the big cook" and make myself dinner, with enough leftovers for the 3, 12-hour shifts I work. This dish is one of my favorites to bring to work, because it warms up well and is easily prepared.

Chicken and Basil Stir Fry

Serves: 4 hungry people; Prep Time: 20 minutes; Cook Time: 30 minutes

What You Need:

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken cutlets, cut into 1/4 inch strips (or bite-sized morsels)

Coarse salt and ground pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 small onion (I recommend a sweet onion), coarsely chopped

2 bell peppers (red, yellow, green, or a mix), ribs and seeds removed, cut into 1/4 inch strips

6 garlic cloves, minced

1 1/2 cups Thai or other basil leaves, tear the larger leaves in halves or fourths

1. Rinse chicken and pat dry with paper towels. Season with salt and pepper.

2. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large non-stick skillet or wok, over medium high heat.

3. Cook half the chicken, cooking until just cooked through. Remove to plate, and cook the remaining chicken in the same fashion. When all the chicken has been set on a separate plate, wipe the pan out with a paper towel.

4. Add 1 tablespoon oil to the skillet, keeping the heat at medium-high. Add onion and bell peppers. Cook until they start to brown (3-ish minutes). Add garlic and cook for another 30 seconds to 1 minute.

5. Add chicken and basil leaves to pan, and mix. Remove from heat.

6. Serve over warm white rice, with a dollop of peanut sauce.

Peanut Sauce

Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cook Time: 2 minutes

What You Need:

1/3 ("heaping") peanut butter - best with pure peanut butter that is not sweetened

1 shallot

5 cloves garlic

2 tablespoons walnut oil

1 tablespoon red pepper flakes

1/2 teaspoon cardamon

1 teaspoon cumin

1 tablespoon rice milk

coarse salt to taste

1. Combine all ingredients in a food processor (I use a food processor attachment on my blender), and whip it, whip it good.

2. Dollop onto each plate of stir-fry or mix it all over the stir-fry.