Cooking for Idiots Recipe #2: Chicken-Veggie Stir Fry

It's been ages since my last recipe post. I have been cooking a lot more not-so-idiotic-incompetent-cook recipes since then (see, Hubby, I just needed to warm up--told you I liked to cook). But I still love these quick, easy recipes. Perfect for when you come home to a hungry husband after a long day at work.

Equipment
- a good wok (large frying pan will do)
- one of those flat turning things
- stove

Ingredients*
- chicken fillet pieces, chopped into cubes (I like only breast)
- assorted vegetables, chopped into bite sized pieces (the Baguio veggies work best--carrots, beans, wombok)
- garlic, crushed (I love garlic, so my recipes usually have a little more than usual)
- small onion, coarsely chopped
- oil (olive works best)
- oyster sauce
- soy sauce
- pepper

*NOTE: I cook by feel, rather than by quantity, so it's a matter of estimating how much you need to put (just realized if I were to put up a restaurant or go into the food business, must make my cooking method more exact :( )

Procedure
1. Heat the oil in the wok. When hot enough, add garlic.
2. When garlic starts to brown, add the onions.
3. When onions start to become transparent, add the chicken.
4. When chicken turns white add the veggies (if you are adding wombok or other leafy vegetables, add it last, when the rest of the vegetables are semi-cooked).
5. Over high heat, constantly stir or toss the whole mess in the wok. Don't stop, even to wipe the sweat off your brow (stir fry is hot, hot work)! The secret to keeping the crunch in the veggies is to not let them stay too long in a heap on the bottom of the pan.
6. Add soy sauce and oyster sauce (I use a 1:1 proportion).
7. Add pepper--best if freshly ground from a pepper mill.
8. Serve with a smile.

This stir fry thing is a very flexible recipe. You can change the soy/oyster sauce seasoning to butter and herbs (rosemary, thyme, marjoram, oregano, basil, etc) for something less Chinese. You can make the chicken into some other meat (or take it out completely for something totally vegetarian). You can add bean spouts and tofu (best with butter and kikoman). The best thing is, after cooking, you only have one pan, one turning cooking thing, one knife and one chopping board to wash. Amen to that!