Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
It’s been a long day, the kids are screaming, and the phone
is ringing. You think “Darn, probably another marketing call”. Now you really
aren’t in the mood to put a lot of energy into cooking, but you want to make a
good dinner for the family. If you enjoy the flavors of Southeast Asia, I find this to be a relatively, easy solution. Another advantage is there are a few,
simple variations to this dish which I share later in the post.
You will want to prepare rice to serve it with, but
there are some substitutes that bring their
own qualities to the meal which I also share below.
Ingredient:
· I pound of chicken breast cut into 1-inch cubes
· 1 large or 2 medium yellow onion, quartered and cut into ¼ inch slices
·
2 pounds of Asparagus
·
1 8 oz. can of sliced water chestnuts
·
1 and ½ cups of sliced Shitake or White
mushrooms
·
½ cup of celery cut in ½ inch slices
·
4 tbsp of cooking oil
·
Sesame Oil to taste
·
1 tbsp. of minced garlic
·
1 tbsp. of minced ginger root
·
1 and ½ tbsp. of Fish Sauce
·
1 and ½ tbsp. of Oyster Sauce
·
2 tsp. of Lime Juice
·
½ tsp. of sugar
·
½ tsp. of Chili Paste (optional)
The Sauce
Mix the Fish Sauce, Oyster Sauce, Lime Juice, sugar and
Chili Paste, if you want a bit of heat in a small bowl. This will be used at
the end but it’s nice to have it ready before hand. This is a stir fry so you
will need to lift and stir the ingredients constantly while they are cooking.
Cooking
Put your wok or large frying pan on a high heat.
Add 2 tbsp of oil, allow it to get hot and add the chicken
breast, cook it for 2 minutes
Remove the chicken breast from the pan and add the remaining
oil
Cook the onions for one minute and add ½ of the minced
garlic and ginger
After 30 seconds add the asparagus and celery, cook them for
1 minute
Add the water chestnuts and mushrooms, cook for one minute
Put the chicken breast back into the pan, mix the sauce
again and pour it on top of the other ingredients
Stir everything together for 1 minute
Serve with rice
The sweetness of the onions, the earthiness of the mushrooms,
the umami of the sauces and the citrusy overtone of the lime juice combine to tease
your palate with a medley of flavors. The Chili Paste adds a dimension of heat that
many people enjoy.
Most of the time to prepare this dish is from cutting up the
meat and vegetables. The better your knife skills, the less time it will take.
Variations
As I mentioned, there are some variations, as follows:
For a mild dish, eliminate the Chili Paste
Meat Substitute - replace the chicken breast with shrimp. I tastes better but does takes a bit longer to prepare as you have to peel and devein the shrimp.
Vegetable Substitute - replace the asparagus with broccoli or zucchini.
If you want it hotter, double the Chili Paste to 1 tsp. If want it even hotter, I recommend experimenting by adding more to the sauce, 1 tsp at
a time. Mix and taste test for heat.
Rice Substitutes - quinoa brings a
nutty flavor to the dish, has less carbs and more fiber. Riced cauliflower adds some nuttiness and sweetness to
the dish, as well as being much healthier. See my post on Cauliflower for making it into rice.
With a few additions, this can be converted into a basic,
Thai Fried Rice, which I will share with you at another time.
My personal favorite is asparagus and shrimp with 2 tsp of Chili
Paste. The shrimp brings out the sweetness of the asparagus and there is enough
heat without being too strong or dominant. I enjoy when the heat tickles the
palate and makes you feel warm inside without overwhelming the other flavors. The heat should be an enhancement to the experience, otherwise you may
as well serve a plate of hot peppers.
I hope you find this an easy and tasty dish with a Thai
flair. Adding this to your repertoire will add another dimension to your
cooking. Because it is so basic, you can get creative with it and add you own,
personal touch to it. Wishing you a Happy New Year.
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