I’ve mentioned a lot about stir-fries in my previous posts, but I’ve also gotten a lot of emails asking for more information.  So I’ll tell you exactly what to do, step by step.  Tomorrow I’ll tell you where I get my foods at the best prices.

1.  Choose your protein source.  I personally choose from 3 oz of salmon filet, shrimp, chicken breast, or canned tuna (but I like my tuna cold not stir-fried.)  You could even use an egg or 2 and make it omelet or frittata style.

Choose your veggies:  Use 1-2 cups of anything you like except for potatoes, corn or shelled peas (these are counted as grains for our purposes.)  Some ideas:   onions, garlic, mushrooms, green beans, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, squash (zucchini or yellow), snow peas, bell peppers, okra, spinach, clinatro, parsely, or lamb’s quarter.  You can use fresh or frozen or a combination of both. 

Choose your seasonings:  Just salt and pepper is fine!  Or try a southwest blend:  cumin, chili powder, garlic, and a dash of oregano.  Lemon pepper or seasoning salt are also nice.  I have also purchased premixed cajun blend and hickory smoke blend.  For an oriental flair try garlic and ginger.  I just shake these into the pan right out of the jars.  I go my smell, taste, and look to see how much.  Start light.  You can always add more spice.

2.  Prepare a large skillet (I like cast-iron, but use what you have) by spraying lightly with non-stick spray.  The trick is to add your ingreidents to the pan in order of cooking time needed.  For example, raw chicken takes several minutes to cook, but spinach should just be barely wilted.  I start by sauteeing any super hard vegetables like baby carrots, broccoli or cauliflower. After cooking for a few minutes, I add onions and garlic with my protein source and half of the seasoning.  Next I add softer vegetables adn cook until everything is crisp tender and the meat is cooked through.  At the end I’ll turn off the heat and  toss in any greens like spinach and just stir around until they are slightly wilted.

Examples

3 oz Salmon burger with baby carrots, onions, sugar snap peas and fresh mushrooms.  Seasoned with lemon pepper.

3 oz chicken breast with 1/4 cup black beans, red onions, baby bell peppers.  Seasoned with cumin, chili powder, garlic, and seasoning salt.  Topped with mixed greens and shredded carrots.  (Salsa and cilantro would be awesome.)

3 oz shrimp with onions, baby bell peppers and spinach.  Seasoned with cajun blend.

Salmon burger with broccoli, onions, carrot slices and fresh mushrooms.  Seasoned with seasoning salt.

Chopped chicken breast with frozen oriental blend, seasoned with garlic, giner and soy sauce.

Chopped chicken with cubed fresh pumpkin, broccoli, mushrooms, red onions, and baby carrots.  seasoned with ginger and lemon pepper.

Salmon filet with baby carrots, broccoli, baby bell peppers, fresh mushrooms, and kale.  Seasoned with cajun blend.

There’s no reason to get bored with stir fries!  These are just a few examples to help you create beautiful, healthy and fat burning meals for yourself!