The past couple of weeks I have been fighting a cold/ allergies (still not certain which), and consequently it has been quiet in the kitchen except for the pot of chicken soup which has seen me through these past days. There is definitely something magical about that homey brew which seems to be the sole source of comfort sometimes when I am sick.
So one evening last week I mustered the energy to attempt to make a dinner with what remained in the fridge. You can always find something to stir-fry , and I did with a package of frozen chicken breast tenders in the freezer, and an assortment of fresh vegetables in the crisper.
With only some soy sauce in the pantry, and some fresh garlic and ginger, that with a bit of my homemade chicken broth would provide the flavoring.
One of the things I do to ensure a velvety texture to the diced chicken pieces is to marinate it with a little cornstarch, and in this case soy sauce. When I have it I use some Mirin or even white wine or dry sherry as a substitute. Add a little salt and pepper if you like.
In a tablespoon of canola oil (in this case), I sautéed some slices of ginger and garlic til fragrant. Then I added the chicken pieces stirring til no longer pink, but not overdone, and set them aside on a plate.
To the hot pan add another bit of oil if necessary, and stir fry all the cut up veggies with a bit of salt and pepper.
When still crisp and brightly colored add back the chicken and combine.
Mix 1 tablespoon corn starch with a little water. Add this to some chicken broth (¼- 1/3 c) and 1-2 tablespoons soy sauce.
On high heat add the chicken broth mixture to the veggies and chicken and cook until the sauce begins to thicken, and the veggies and chicken are heated through. Do not overcook. Crisp, bright veggies are what you want.
At this point I like to remove everything to the serving dish but the sauce. Continue cooking the sauce til it reduces, thickens more, and almost forms a glaze. Pour over the stir fry, serve with some brown rice and enjoy!
