Recipe: TFG’s Lemongrass Chicken Stir Fry

The best part of making a stir fry is that frankly, you can throw any vegetable you have in the house into it and it will still taste good. Whenever I read a recipe for a stir fry that calls for this, that or the other thing, I just mentally scratch those ingredients off the list and look in the fridge to see what I have on hand. If the recipe sounds like it will be especially good with the suggested produce, then I’ll get off my lazy butt and go to the store to get it, but that’s rare.

I generally like to have at least two different veggies in a stir fry to keep it interesting, but I have been known to put together a chicken stir fry with just asparagus and it still came out delicious. For tonight’s recipe I used a few items I purchased at the local farmer’s market on Thursday night:

• red bell pepper
• green onions

And a few things I already had in the fridge:

• half a can water chestnuts (leftover from making Lettuce Wraps the other night)
• garlic
• zucchini

For protein I went with boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into small pieces (four 4oz pieces – lots of leftovers or plenty for four people to enjoy dinner!).

For the sauce, I used Lee Kum Kee Lemongrass Sauce. They make a bunch of different sauces and the lemongrass is one of the more flavorful. You can find them in an ethnic grocery store that carries Asian products, or our local chain Fry’s Food carries it as well. I’ve see random sauces by Lee Kum Kee in Target grocery stores, etc… as well.

So anyway… on to the deliciously healthy recipe!

Lemongrass Chicken Stir Fry

Ingredients

• 1 large red bell pepper, cut into small strips
• 1 medium zucchini (cut lenthwise and then into medallions)
• 1/2 cup diced green onions/scallions
• 3 cloves garlic, pressed
• 40z canned water chestnut, chopped
• 2 tbsp olive oil, divided
• 16oz boneless, skinless chicken breast
• 3-4 tbsp Lee Kum Kee Lemongrass Sauce, to taste
• 1 cup brown rice, cooked (if desired)

Prep

• put 1 tbsp of olive oil in a skillet heated to medium-high heat and add the bell pepper and zucchini. Saute until they start to soften. (if desired, toss with some garlic powder while cooking).
• remove vegetables from skillet into a bowl
• add remaining tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet along with green onions and garlic. Saute until fragrant.
• add diced chicken and turn as needed until browned. Note: I usually use frozen chicken breasts from Costco, which I defrost (obviously) and as a result, I usually end up with a lot of water in the pan when I cook chicken. If you do the same, or have water in the pan when the chicken is mostly cooked, use a spoon to remove the water to a small dish. Add some cornstarch to thicken and toss it back into the pan. You’ll be adding back the flavors of the green onion and garlic and adding to the delicious sauce!
• when chicken is ready, toss vegetables back into the skillet and add the Lemongrass Sauce. Toss to coat and simmer for a few minutes to let flavors settle in

Serve

• Serve 1/4 of the stir fry over 1/3 to 1/2 cup of cooked brown rice

Just the Nutrition Facts, Ma’am (without  rice)
Nutrition facts calculated using the My Fitness Pal recipe builder. Information provided is approximate, not exact.

Calories: 244
Carbs: 15
Fat: 12
Fiber: 3
Protein: 38
Sodium: 696