Chicken and Vegetable Stir Fry

Description

When I developed this recipe, I had two main goals in mind:  to incorporate lots of colorful veggies, and to create a sauce that would be light yet flavorful enough to stand out with the chicken and vegetables.  Starting with the veggies, this recipe boasts at least 5 cups of multi-colored and textured veggies that complement and soak up the delicious stir fry sauce. When it comes to colorful vegetables, I always say the more the merrier so I really wanted to load this dish up.  Tender crisp carrots are paired with silky cabbage, savory spring onions, along with hearty broccoli that delivers a buffet of textures and flavors.  The sauce is mild yet flavorful and uses a generous amount of chicken broth for the base along with oyster sauce, soy sauce, and nutty sesame oil.  The chicken broth provides a mild base for the sauce while the more dominant flavors like soy sauce and oyster sauce add a heavier punch of flavor for a perfectly balanced sauce.  For the chicken, I strongly recommend velveting your chicken by marinating it with a small amount of baking soda along with some vegetable oil, corn starch, and oyster sauce as indicated in the recipe.  When you allow your thinly sliced chicken to sit with these ingredients, you end up with a silky smooth chicken that is juicy and tender. Adding a small amount of baking soda to your thinly sliced chicken is one of my favorite ways to tenderize your protein without making it stringy.  

This stir fry is such a great option for dinner any night of the week, especially if you are wanting a healthy and delicious dinner that is packed with protein and fiber.  I know what a struggle it can be to get all of our veggies in each day, and this is definitely a meal that makes it easy to get a full serving of vegetables.  One reason I love using so much cabbage in this dish is because once you saute it, it completely blends into the background of the sauce so even the pickiest of eaters will get a generous serving of vegetables. This is a very easy meal to prepare ahead of time, just prep all of your ingredients, cover them,  and pop them into the fridge up to a day in advance. This dinner is a great option to have in your weekly rotation, the mild flavors make this very kid friendly, however I prefer to add a generous amount of chili oil when I serve myself.  Be sure to try this recipe for your next stir fry night, it'll surely be a recipe you can devour week after week.  Speaking of devouring, did you know about that time my family and I entered a marshmallow eating contest?  We were out and about for the day and happened to pass by the local marshmallow factory.  As we neared the factory, my kids noticed a sign for a marshmallow eating contest that would be happening soon.  Being a family that’s always up for an adventure, we decided to participate in the contest.  We filled out the necessary registration and liability waivers, and were given a bib and a pair of stretchy pants.  After changing,  we were ready to compete alongside ten other eager contestants.  We all took our places in front of massive heaps of marshmallows and began the task of consuming as many fluffy marshmallows as we possibly could.  We started off with so much excitement and gusto, but after a few minutes, my oldest son was the first to call it quits followed immediately by my husband.  I had gotten about 15 marshmallows into my pile when my stomach began to churn, so I took that as my sign to tap out before I was in a regrettable position.  My youngest son held on for a few more marshmallows and decided enough was enough.  Sadly, none of us had made it very far along into the contest that afternoon, but our sweet tooth and appetite for adventure was surely satisfied.  We all left with our consolation t-shirts and headed home to lay down on the couch and submit to a brief sugar coma.  Later that evening, I had decided that we could all use a healthy dinner that was loaded with lean protein and vegetables, so I decided to make my Chicken and Vegetable Stir Fry.