Stir Fry!

This recipe is definitely one of the family favorites lately. Of course, I've always loved stir fry, but every time I went to make it, it never ever turned out as good as I had hoped, and no recipe I found had that perfect sour, spice, and sweet taste I came to love when growing up.  Eventually, I found one that turned out alright, but it needed a serious makeover.  Trial and error came at the expense of a mostly devastated family as I messed with the recipe again and again.  Finally, after a few weeks, I found the perfect combination of goodness.  It was as if God himself sent me the perfect combination of ingredients!  Or, you know, the perfect friends to suggest what ingredients might be good.

Awesome Stir Fry:

Ingredients:
-2-3 cloves of garlic - minced
-The equivalent amount of shredded/minced fresh ginger
-Beef for stir frying
-Olive oil*   about 2-4 tbs, divided
-Your favorite veggies
    -Carrots
    -Kohlrabi
    -Broccoli
    -Bell peppers
    -Celery
    -Green onions
    -Yellow Onions
    -Digon Radishes  (Ok, so I really have no idea how to spell the first word, but they're delicious in stir fry!)

Sauce:
-1 cup water
-1/3 cup soy sauce  (I found the la choy brand seems to be best, as I really don't like my soy sauce too salty)
-1-2 tbs brown sugar (depending on taste.  I usually use 1 unless I'm having a horrid sweets craving.)
-1 tbs cornstarch


Directions:

1.  Prep all your veggies and cut the beef up how you wish.  Then, make the sauce.  To do this, just mix all the sauce ingredients in a cup/bowl.  A whisk works great for this.

2.  Heat 1/2 of the oil in pan.  (about 2 tbs depending on the amount of meat you're frying).  Once heated, add half of the ginger, and half of the garlic into pan, along with beef.  Cook until done.  Remove from the pan and keep nearby/mostly warm.

3.  Heat the other half of the oil.  Once this decides to be hot enough, add the rest of the garlic/ginger as well as all the veggies.  Cook until your desired doneness.  I like it when the bell peppers reach the perfect crisp outside and soft inside, and the carrots are mostly soft.  Oh, and if you add kohlrabi, you'll want to make sure it is mostly soft as well. 

4.  Once the veggies are done cooking, add meat back to pan, and add sauce.  (Be sure to stir the sauce before adding.)  Bring to a boil and cook until the sauce has thickened to desired awesomeness.

5.  Serve over rice, and enjoy your foodgasm.


*I recently read this whole debacle about olive oil over at the blog of Crunchy Betty.  Something to think about.


Note to self, take better pictures.