Quick Chicken Thighs with Vegetables Stir Fry

EASY CHICKEN and VEGETABLES STIR FRY

A very quick and easy way to prepare chicken with vegetables and get a really delicious, healthy and satisfying meal.  

I love making things which can be done all in one pot/fry pan/wok. This style of cooking developed over the years when we would go on holidays with the kids to caravan parks for two (2) and had to cook something nutritious with limited kitchen space, utensils and sometimes cooking only on one burner.  The theory was "if you put in basic ingredients - you can't go wrong" -  or in other words - the "KISS" principle.

So even though we are talking about stir fry you don't have to use a wok - a good sized fry pan with some kind of lid (even a flat baking tray will do) and on occasion, I have even used aluminium foil when there was no lid in sight.  

Of course, if you are cooking at home and happen to have a wok then go ahead and use it.

Ingredients:

4 x chicken thighs (skinless, boneless)
1 x red pepper
2 x large or 4 x medium carrots
3 x celery sticks
2 x leeks or brown onions
1/2 x small white cabbage or Chinese cabbage
6 x brown mushrooms
2 x cups broccoli
1 x large or 1.5 medium zucchini
6 x garlic cloves
Tamari or Soy Sauce
Hot Chilli Sauce
1/2 inch x fresh ginger
small handful of fresh coriander (optional)
Olive Oil
Toasted Sesame Oil
1 x vegetable stock cube

Method:

Slice the four (4) chicken thighs into long strips, place into a bowl, ADD 4-5 tablespoons Tamari, 1-2 teaspoon Hot Chilli Sauce, 1 tablespoon Toasted Sesame Oil, 6 crushed cloves garlic, chopped coriander, STIR well to coat the chicken pieces.

Put the chicken aside to marinate, for at least 30 minutes.  If you wish you can prepare the chicken pieces hours before - just cover the bowl with cling film and place in fridge,  stir every hour or so.

If you are wanting to make the meal within an hour then leave the chicken to marinade whilst you prepare and cook the vegetables, you will need to keep the vegetables warm in the oven (temperature approx 100-150C).

Prepare your vegetables, wash, peel, slice.  Into the fry pan or wok, add 1-2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil, add red pepper and cook on high heat achieving a chargrill effect, cover with lid to prevent oil spraying everywhere - but make sure you are still chargrilling the pepper and not just steaming them.

Remove the peppers and place in an oven dish into a 120C oven to keep warm.

Next, proceed with the chargrill process for the carrots and celery; which you will add to the red peppers dish, you will top up this dish with the fried chicken pieces. 

Then in the fry pan or wok, quickly stir fry in the following order the remainder of the vegetables, leeks and cabbage; place in separate dish and keep warm in the oven, then quickly fry the mushrooms, ginger, broccoli and zucchini. Add these to the vegetable dish.

Each time you will remove the vegetables from the fry pan/wok and place in the vegetable dish and return to the oven.

With the last batch of mushrooms, ginger, broccoli and zucchini add half cup water and vegetable stock cube, stir evenly through the greens and then add everything to the leeks and cabbage in the oven.

Now cook the chicken pieces.  In the same fry pan or wok, add a couple of splashes of olive oil and 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil, add half the chicken pieces and cook on high heat turning to brown all over.

Once browned cover for a few minutes with lid, then transfer to dish with red peppers, carrots and celery and keep warm in the oven. Cook the remainder of the chicken pieces.

Make sure the chicken has been cooked through.  Place all the cooked chicken on top of the red peppers, carrots and celery and place in oven for another 5 minutes.

Serve on warm plates with extra tamari and chilli sauces to be added according to individual taste.

ENJOY and GOOD EATING!