Sweet-Spicy Chicken and Vegetable Stir Fry

So yeah I have quite a few stir fries in my repertoire of recipes.  This is why I like them so much.  They are a complete meal:  starch, protein, veggies.  Substitutions for aforementioned ingredients are endless.  You can prep them ahead of time and then the whole thing comes together in a matter of minutes (a little exaggeration here but hey, what the heck).   My husband loves them.

Ok, so this is a really excellent stir fry from Cooking Light.  I have tweaked it ever so slightly but have included a link to the original recipe so you can see the difference and make your own decision.  This stir fry could also pass as a vegetarian meal:  substitute the chicken with tofu OR just put in more vegetables.

Sweet Spicy Chicken and Vegetable Stir Fry (Cooking Light September 2012)

4-1/2 tablespoons dark brown sugar

2-1/4 tablespoons lower sodium soy sauce

1-1/2 tablespoon fish sauce

1-1/2 tablespoons rice vinegar

1-1/2 teaspoons chili garlic sauce

1-1/2 teaspoons dark sesame oil

1 tablespoon cornstarch

vegetable oil

1 pound chicken tenders, cut into 1 inch pieces

10 ounces sugar snap peas

1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced

1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced

1/4 cup sliced green onions (optional)

1/4 cup unsalted dry roasted peanuts (optional)

Combine the first 7 ingredients in a medium bowl, brown sugar through cornstarch, and mix thoroughly with a whisk.  Set aside.

Heat a large non stick wok or large non stick skillet over medium high heat.  Add about 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil to pan and heat up for about a minute.  Add chicken and cook for about 4 minutes until chicken is done and slightly brown.  Remove from pan and set aside.

Add another 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil to pan and add peas, pepper and red onion.  Stir together for a few seconds.  Add about 4 tablespoons of water and cover, steam cooking for about 1 minute until vegetables are crisp tender.  Stir in chicken.  Then add sauce stirring for 1 minute until sauce thickens and chicken is heated through.  Remove from heat and sprinkle with optional green onions and dry roasted peanuts.  Serve over rice.

mise en place:

cook chicken and set aside:

stir fry/steam vegetables:

add sauce:

add chicken:

optional garnish:

with garnish or without: