When You Wok On By

It's been a little while since I've written anything. I feel guilty for leaving those of you that have actually been checking in everyday looking for new recipes without any fresh experiments to eat. Still, it's been a slightly stressful time full of life choices for me and the rest of the family. Kenny and I are trying to determine where we want to end up in life. Buy a house? Don't buy a house? Keep homeschooling or let Charisma attend high school? The list goes on and on. You'd think that being close to my mid-thirties I'd have made those decisions by now, but guess what? I freaking haven't. (Welcome to adulting kids!)

Whenever I want to stir something up really quickly, I'll bust out my wok. Lately, I've been rifling off very quick meals in order to focus on other things, so this guy has been amazing. If you get a chance to buy a wok, just do it. I've had mine since I graduated high school and that sucker has made soups, stir-fries, steamed chickens, and sauteed with the best of them. (I've even popped popcorn in it.) My favorite wok recipe is very much a stereotype, Stir-fried Chicken with Cabbage and Carrots.

Stir-Fried Chicken with Cabbage and Carrots

1 inch fresh ginger, grated
1/4 c soy sauce
1/4 c rice wine vinegar
1/4 c olive oil
1 tsp Chinese 5 spice powder

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken, thinly sliced*

1/2 onion, thinly sliced

1 clove garlic, minced
2 bell peppers, julienned

2 carrots, thinly sliced

2 c savoy cabbage, julienned

Whisk together the ginger, soy sauce, vinegar, oil, and spices. Toss with the chicken and vegetables, except the cabbage.

Heat 2 tbsp of oil in the wok over high heat. Add the chicken and vegetables, except the cabbage**, reserving the remaining marinade. Keep the chicken and vegetables moving like they were attending a Zumba class to prevent burning. After about 5 minutes, add the cabbage and the remaining marinade and toss to coat the cabbage. Cover loosely to allow the heat to wilt the cabbage slightly. Spoon over rice or riced cauliflower and serve.

*Fun Fact: If you work with partially frozen chicken, you'll find that it's easier to get those super thin slices your used to seeing in your Chinese takeout.
**Cabbage is a very nervous vegetable that gets pretty gassy when you expose it to too much heat. This makes the flavor go from tasty to pungent in a matter of minutes. So do yourself a favor, add the cabbage last.