Dine Out: Summer heat perfect for snappy stir-fry

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Want a meal that you can pull together in less than 30 minutes with just one pan?

Fifteen minutes of preparation time and 10 minutes at the stove will reward you with a delicious, nutritious stir-fry meal.

Best of all, it is much fresher tasting than any take-out Chinese dinner.

“Stir-fry” is a bit of a misnomer for the Oriental cooking technique of searing meat and vegetables over high heat in oil.

You really don’t “stir” the ingredients in the pan; you turn them over so both sides cook evenly.

Minimal oil is used, so it is more of a saute than a frying process.

You do not need a wok to execute a perfect stir-fry. In fact, a large, flat frying pan gives you plenty of surface area to cook the meat and vegetables quickly.

Use this technique for any stir-fry: prepare all the ingredients and mix together a sauce that includes cornstarch to give that characteristic silky coating to the ingredients.

Then heat oil in the pan and cook the protein. Empty the pan and saute the veggies, adding a pop of aromatic flavors like ginger and garlic when they’re done.

Return the meat to the pan, add the sauce, and stir to thicken.

To protect chicken (and tofu) from the high heat that could toughen it, marinate in soy sauce, then coat in cornstarch to give it a velvety texture.

Add this chicken stir-fry to the dinner menu this summer and you’ll be out of the kitchen in a flash!

Chicken Stir-Fry with Broccoli and Red Pepper

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips

5 TB soy sauce, divided

2 TB dry sherry

1/4 C low sodium chicken broth

2 TB plus 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

1 TB hoisin sauce

2 TB plus 1 tsp cornstarch

2 TB fresh ginger, minced

1 clove garlic, minced

4 TB vegetable oil, divided

1 small red bell pepper, sliced into thin strips

2 cups broccoli florets, in small pieces

Marinate chicken pieces in 1/4 cup soy sauce mixed with 1/2 cup water for 15 minutes (while preparing other ingredients) or refrigerated for up to an hour.

To make sauce, combine remaining 1 tablespoon soy sauce, sherry, chicken broth, one teaspoon sesame oil, hoisin sauce, 1 teaspoon cornstarch, and 1 tablespoon ginger; set aside.