With a little creativity and a little planning,Catherine Lambshows us how to make the most of a tight budget—without sacrificing flavor or variety.
Today:Stir-fry—the broke kitchener's weeknight standby—just got a little more interesting.
You get home and you open your fridge. Your crisper holds some browning broccoli, limp carrots, and a very questionable lime. You have half of a rotisserie chicken and a half-finishedbottle of white wine. Odds are, you're going to make stir-fry: the weeknight staple of budget cooks everywhere, the great user-upper of leftovers. Stir-fry isn't a sexy new dish you read about on a blog or saw in an Ottolenghi cookbook. Stir-fry is reliable, but it's ho-hum. It's what you end up making when you don't know how else to combine the weird elements of your fridge.
But what if we took stir-fry and put it on one of those makeover shows where they give advice on buyingthe right cut of pants and using lipstick?
Here are 8 tips for jazzing up stir-fry and making sure it doesn't always end up tasting like soy sauce-y randomness. Let's give stir-fry some dignity.
1.Nuts and seeds.
Peanutsmight already be regular stir-fry toppers, but it's time to expand your nutty horizons. Add in almonds, cashews, or sesame seeds for crunch and richness. If you add the nuts into your wok with all of the other ingredients, they'll soften as they absorb the sauce, which can be nice. I, on the other hand, prefer to toast the nuts/seeds separately and then sprinkle them over my finished plate, like Parmesan cheese, for optimal crunch.
2. Fresh ginger.
Ginger will add some serious zing to your stir-fry. Keep a root in your fridge, where it will stay good for a long while. Peel it with a spoonand then grate some into your pan at the same time you add the garlic. (Pro tip: You can grate your garlic, too, for an ultra-quick cook.)
More: Looking for more ways to use your ginger? We've got plenty.
3.Put an egg on it.
This column has already sung the praises of adding a fried eggmany times. Now is not the time to take a different stance: A fried egg really will elevate your stir-fry. The creamy yolk adds richness to the whole dish, rounding out any over-salting or under-seasoning. Plus, you can fry theegg (or two) in the same pan you used to cook the stir-fry, which means no extra dishes.
4.Marinate your protein.
If youmix up a marinadethe night before and allow yourmeat or sliced/cubed tofu to soak overnight, your protein willbe ready to go by dinnertime. To avoid soggy tofu, pre-bake the piecesina hot oven (I use 375° F) until they're golden-brownbefore adding them into the stir-fry.
5.Skip the rice.
Instead of plating your stir-fry over a bed of fluffy rice, try spooning it over a scoop of lentils, quinoa, or noodles."Do not try to bend the spoon..."
6.Vinegar.
A common plight of the stir-fry is over-saltiness, which is often a result of a heavy reliance on soy sauce. While I love that salty umami kick as much as the next person, it can get very one-note very quickly. Asplash of rice vinegar (try dark rice vinegar if you get the chance) adds a welcome punch of acid to the mix without making you feel the need to chug a glass of water.
7.Seaweed.
Seaweed iscrunchy, it's funky, and it's earthy. Give your stir-frysome welcome texture and some can't-quite-place-your-finger-on-it flavor by crumbling strips of dried seaweed over the top as a garnish. For a chewier texture,channel this saladand soak your seaweed for a few minutes in warm water before using it.
8.Fresh herbs.
Basil is already a stir-fry stalwart, but there's no reason to stop there. Try adding in some parsley or cilantro, or be a Genius and make a paste ahead of time, storeit in your freezer, and pop a cube into your pan at a moment's notice.
How do you make your stir-fry more sexy and less sigh-worthy? Tell us in the comments!
FAQs
Ketchup Is The Secret Ingredient For A Top-Notch Stir Fry - Yahoo Sports.
How to make stir-fry less boring? ›
Fresh ginger.
Ginger will add some serious zing to your stir-fry. Keep a root in your fridge, where it will stay good for a long while. Peel it with a spoon and then grate some into your pan at the same time you add the garlic. (Pro tip: You can grate your garlic, too, for an ultra-quick cook.)
How to fix bland stir-fry? ›
If you do not want your stir-fry to be bland, you can also enhance the flavor by adding wok sauce or utilizing ingredients like fresh chilies, Sriracha sauce, fresh lime juice, garlic, ginger, and lemongrass. Or you can add a few drops of sesame oil, stock, wine, coconut milk, or beer.
What are the three rules of stir-frying? ›
Food & Dining
The first is to cook your protein and your vegetable separately, and combine them only after both are fully cooked. A second rule of thumb for stir-frying: Choose one vegetable per stir-fry. Finally, always remember to add liquid only after everything is more or less finished cooking.
What makes stir-fry taste better? ›
Aromatic ingredients like garlic, ginger, green onions, chilies and spices. These ingredients are typically added to the oil first to infuse it with flavor. You won't need much; a few teaspoons to a tablespoon of total aromatic ingredients per person adds a serious amount of flavor.
Is it better to stir-fry on high or low heat? ›
Stir frying is a way of quickly cooking food (usually in a wok) over a high heat, and with only a little oil. Because of this, it helps ingredients stay crunchy, colourful and downright delicious.
What oil to use when cooking stir-fry? ›
The best oils for stir frys are the oils with the higher smoke points. These tend to be the “thinner” oils such as peanut, grapeseed or canola.
What not to put in stir-fry? ›
"Tomatoes should never go in a stir fry — not at all." Chef Natasha Ford adds that they're too mushy. "They would just make your stir fry soupy," she says. "If you really want to use them, keep them as fresh and uncooked as possible.
What is the best thickener for stir-fry? ›
Cornstarch! In his book How to Cook Everything Vegetarian, Mark Bittman recommends mixing 1-2 tablespoons of cornstarch with the same amount of water, and tossing this into the stir fry just when it's almost done. It thickens in seconds, picking up the flavors of everything already in the dish and coating evenly.
What can I add to my stir-fry? ›
Good vegetables for stir-frying include bell peppers, zucchini, carrots, broccoli, yellow or white onions, green onions, pea pods, cabbage, spinach, asparagus, mushrooms, and leafy Asian greens in the “choy” family, such as bok choy and yu choy. In a hurry? You can use a 16-ounce bag of frozen stir-fry vegetables.
A proper sauce for stir-fries combines something salty—soy sauce, usually, though fish sauce also works—with something a little bit sweet. Mirin, sweet Japanese rice wine, contributes a wonderful fermented flavor, but if you don't have any, substitute a teaspoon of honey or sugar combined with two teaspoons of water.
What goes first in stir-fry? ›
Stir-fry onions first, then add hard vegetables such as carrot and broccoli. Quick-cooking vegetables, such as snow peas, leafy greens and bean sprouts, should be added towards the end of cooking. If using vegies that have a combination of both textures, such as gai laan, add the stems first and the leaves later.
What is the secret ingredient in stir-fry beef? ›
Velvet the beef: The velveting technique involves tenderizing, marinating, and a quick searing of the meat. To tenderize: Sprinkle with baking soda (the secret Chinese meat tenderizer). To marinate (a quick marinade): Add basic beef marinade and mix to coat evenly. Let marinate for 15 minutes or up to overnight.
What are the seven common ingredients in a stir-fry? ›
The main ingredients to a stir-fry are: Proteins – chicken, beef, pork, seafood, tofu, tempeh, seitan. Aromatics – garlic, green onions, shallots, ginger.
