Chicken Stirfry and Peapods Recipe

Oregon Sugar Pod II

These are like candy! They're so sweet and delicious, I love using them in a stirfry or a salad or just eating them while picking!  I need to keep picking these so that they keep producing as long as possible, although this hot weather is not doing me any favors. Peapods are one of those things from the garden that just aren't the same when I try to preserve them. I've tried freezing them, but they thaw limp and soggy. They're at their absolute best when they're eaten just after picking.

One of my favorite recipes, that's always sitting on the tip of my brain, is a chicken stirfry - probably because I've made it hundreds of times.

Chicken Stirfry with Peapods, Recipe:
(yes, you've heard this all before, but it's such a great recipe for using these crisp, delicious peapods!)

Dice chicken breast.

Mince a clove of garlic

In a large skillet, saute the chicken breast and garlic in a little olive oil. I start the burner on high, but turn it down so that the chicken can spend more time on the stove and get a golden brown. It makes all the difference in taste.

Vegetables, cut and bagged ahead of time: (just because it makes prep time seem shorter)

Celery, onion, Carmen (or other red, sweet peppers,) 1/2 jalapeno (minced), lots and lots of peapods,
Mushrooms, cleaned and sliced

Sauce:

1/3 c. GF Organic chicken broth (Pacific)

1 T. corn starch

2 T. white wine

1 t. Bragg's liquid aminos (or just use sea salt)

1 t. honey

In a separate skillet, stirfry vegetables. When translucent, combine chicken and vegetables. Pour sauce over the top and toss til the sauce is a nice clear glaze. Put mushrooms in at nearly the last minute, then heat another couple minutes before serving. Sprinkle with sea salt, cayenne, and cashews! The peapods should still be a bit crunchy, but a darker, nearly translucent green.

The raspberries are just beginning.

It looks like we'll be picking all this next week.

What??! What on earth happened to my tomatoes?

For now, this seems to be the only plant affected. That lamb's quarters, although edible, is an intruder. I didn't notice it until I saw it in the photo! I'm counting on this tomato crop. Sure hope they hurry up and grow and ripen before blight sets in.

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All Things Considered Chicken Stirfry

 All things considered

All things considered

All things considered,

Well, almost.

Lyrics courtesy of Cousin Roy when he was little.

When my older kids hear the theme music for NPR's All Things Considered, it brings back visions of their mom (me) in the kitchen making a chicken stirfry for supper. I've made this a LOT. Why? Probably because I almost always have the ingredients on hand, and it's somehow quite therapeutic to stand in the kitchen at the end of a busy day, dicing chicken and veggies while listening to the radio.

Just think: At the mere whim of a program director, my children could have been associating As it Happens with chicken stirfry instead!

Ingredients:

Boneless, skinless chicken breasts (four or five)

1 clove garlic, minced 

Extra Virgin Olive oil for stirfrying

1 onion, chopt

4 ribs celery, sliced on the diagonal

Fresh mushrooms, sliced

1 T. cornstarch

3 T. chicken stock (Kitchen Basics is gluten free)

2 T. white wine

1 t. honey

Salt and pepper, a little cayenne
Chopt almonds or peanuts

Stirfry chicken and garlic til chicken is golden brown on the edges. Set aside.

  Now in that same skillet stirfry the veggies except for the mushrooms. I don't think they're techically vegetables anyway, are they?? Stirfry veggies until a little translucent. We want a degree of crunchiness remaining.

 Add chicken back into the skillet with the veggies and also add the mushrooms.

In a small bowl, make a quick sauce of:

white wine, chicken stock, corn starch, and honey. Stir. Pour over stirfry in skillet. Mix well. Heat thoroughly. Sauce will form a nice glaze. Add salt, pepper, and cayenne as desired.

Serve with hot basmati rice - or serve alone. Sprinkle chopt almonds or peanuts over the top for a little added crunch.

P.S. It's years later and I'm still making chicken stirfry. But these days the radio is tuned to KTLK-FM at 5 PM and now it's Jason Lewis talking me through my chicken stirfries. :-)  Interestingly, KTLK often gives me news that I don't get until a few weeks later on NBC.

P.P.S. I'm so sorry I don't have a photo of the finished product. I was in a hurry to eat and forgot to take the pic. I think you can use your imagination. :-)


This post is linked to Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays
and Tuesdays at the Table
and Twee Poppets Tagalong Tuesday