Awesome Stir Fry Recipe

This is one of my “go to” recipes when I’m looking for something that’s fast, healthy & totally delicious! Especially if I’ve got some leftover brown rice in the fridge that I’m looking for something to do with. My version here is a knock off of a similar recipe that I saw in Runner’s World back in March and the variations are almost endless.

For me, stir fry comes in 2 categories: sweet and savory. This recipe is in the sweet category with a little heat mixed in. It’s really awesome and if you’re anything like me, you’ll look for a good excuse to have a second helping.

The thing I love about this one is that you can substitute the protein of your choice (shrimp, chicken, beef, tofu) and it’s still just as good. Also, play around with the veggie mix and get what you like. Be creative!

olive oil (about 3 tbs)

1 clove of garlic, minced

1 tsp red pepper flakes

1 small package frozen stir fry veggies (you can usually find a couple options in the supermarket freezer section; I like the ones with mushrooms and baby corns!)

1/2 lb frozen shrimp (I prefer my shrimp peeled, but the packs at my local supermarket have frozen shrimp that aren’t, so I soak them for a few minutes in cold water before cooking and peel them myself)

1/2 of a 20oz can pineapple chunks (with the juice!)

sweet and sour sauce (usually easy to find in the Asian food section of the local supermarket)

brown rice, cooked

The technique here is key. Once you get the flow down, you can make all kinds of substitutions and come up with your own variation.

First, heat oil in a large pan or wok over medium high heat. Sauté the minced garlic & red pepper flakes briefly and then add the package of frozen veggies. Stir fry until they begin to get tender, around 5 minutes or so. Add the shrimp (read protein of your choice) and cook for 3-4 minutes until pink. Add 1/2 can of pineapple chunks and the juice as well as a generous pour of your jarred sweet & sour sauce. Stir fry together for another 2 minutes until all ingredients are hot & cooked. Serve immediately over brown rice.

My version of this serves 2 people generous portions with sometimes a leftover serving depending on how hungry we are. Use more shrimp & the full can of pineapple chunks (with 1/2 of the juice) and you can stretch it to serve 4. For an added crunch, consider throwing in some unsalted peanuts or cashews.

This is a delicious and really fast recipe and usually only messes up one pan, so cleanup isn’t bad. I hope you enjoy this one as much as I do! Let me know what you think.