The Deconstructed Stir Fry

Creativity
Hobgoblin of little minds
And a saving grace

Debby's last post resonated at my house, too. My daughter also has influence beyond her wildest imagination — but let's keep that between us.

In our case, it came from stir fry. Being mostly vegetarian, we have a stir fry about once a week, and Anne Elise almost always rolls her eyes and asks for something different. I refuse to be a short-order cook, so "something different" in my kitchen is either a peanut butter sandwich or a bowl of cereal.

This time, however, she looked over the ingredients I was prepping: onion, red and green pepper, broccoli, edamame. They were almost all things she liked, and she realized that it was the way that I cooked them that was a turn-off for her. (The child loves salty things but doesn't like soy sauce in stir fry. Go figure.)

Instead of whining about it, she got creative, suggesting that I keep a portion of each of her chosen ingredients off to the side, spread them over the white rice I had going, top them with a little cheese, and heat it all in the microwave. In other words, she completely deconstructed my intended meal, and rebuilt it to suit her taste.

It was an easy, healthy fix. She was happy. I was happy. And next time she can make it herself!

But for those of you who aren't deconstructionists, here's the full recipe:

Red and Green Stir Fry
1 tablespoon canola oil
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 1/2 cups broccoli florets, cut into small pieces
1 8-oz bag frozen, shelled edamame
1/3 cup seasoned rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon bottled chili sauce
3-4 tablespoons soy sauce (or to taste)
1/2 teaspoon Chinese 5-spice powder
1 tablespoon sesame oil

Heat oil over medium high heat in a wok or large frying pan until hot. (I drop in a piece of chopped onion and wait for it to sizzle.) Add onion and peppers, stirring often, and fry for about 5 minutes or until onion becomes translucent. Add broccoli and edamame and stir for another 2-3 minutes.

Stir in rice wine vinegar, chili sauce, soy sauce, 5-spice powder and sesame oil. Continue cooking, stirring frequently, until all vegetables are heated through and coated with seasonings. Serve over white, brown or sushi rice.