Green Bean Chicken Stir Fry

Green Bean Chicken Stir Fry

While growing up in the rural Midwest I overheard a number of conversations between grown men boasting about the number of quarts of green beans they had harvested and canned from their garden, as if they were talking about the number of women they had bedded at the local bar.

Snapping and canning green beans were just a normal part of summer when you're raised in Churubusco, Indiana.

I like green beans, but I want them dressed up. Plain, steamed beans really don't do much for me because I don't think they have much flavor. In my experience they are best as a canvas to paint flavors on. Green bean casserole is one of my favorite dishes — what makes it, is the creamy mushroom gravy and french onions — the beans are just filler.

With piles of green beans currently at my finger tips, I decided it was time to do something fun and have them co-star in a stir fry. I precooked the beans in a microwave steam bag first because I wanted to get them 90 percent cooked and could finish  them as they heated through with all the other ingredients.

My stir fry flavors start with ginger, garlic and onion and have a yummy sauce made of hoisin sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil and teriyaki. These ingredients could make any garden vegetable delicious, and are my go to ingredients for stir fry. For protein I choose chicken.

All of this is served over a bed of rice.

To my surprise it really went a long way, with just a pound and a half of chicken and a pound of green beans I was able to make enough to easily feed four people.

Green beans aren't the sexiest vegetables to feature in stir fry, but this is a tasty way to enjoy them — weather you buy them on-sale at the store — or you're shoveling buckets of them from the garden. This is a great way to eat green beans.

Eat well, cook often ...

GREEN BEAN CHICKEN STIR FRY
Serves 4, 45 minutes
1 lb green beans, trimmed and snapped
1.5 lbs chicken thighs, boneless chunks
2 tsp fresh ginger, minced
1 Tbs garlic, minced
1/2 C onion, sliced
1/4 C hoisin sauce
1 Tbs rice vinegar
1 Tbs teriyaki sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
1 C uncooked rice

Place green beans in a microwave steam bag, season with salt and 1 tablespoon of water. Seal and microwave on high for 3 1/2 minutes. Let rest 1 minute more. Open and set aside until ready to add to stir fry.

In a large pan or wok over medium-high heat, brown chicken in a little oil until cooked through 6 to 8 minutes, stir occasionally. Salt and pepper to taste. Remove chicken and add onion, cook until soft, 3 to 4 minutes, season to taste. Add ginger and garlic cook 1 minute more or until fragrant. Add beans and chicken to pan. Stir in hoisin, vinegar, sesame oil and teriyaki. Cook until heated through 5 to 6 minutes more, stirring frequently. Serve over rice.

THE RICE
Over high heat in a pot toss rice in a little oil. Add two cups of water, cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer 10 to 12 minutes. Turn off heat, keep lid on tight and let rice steam 10 minutes more. Remove lid and fluff with a fork, then serve.

Mexican Stir Fry

Printable version

Rice has been cultivated for more than 7,000 years. Archeologist in China have even unearthed rice-filled pots dating as far back as 8,000 B.C.

Today, it’s a dietary staple for half of the world’s population and is grown in two ways. Aquatic rice, or paddy-grown, is raised in flooded fields. Hill-grown, which yields less and is lower quality, can grow nearly anywhere in a tropical environment.

Rice is classified commercially by its length and comes in short, medium and long grain varieties. As a general rule, shorter rice means more starch, and therefore more sticky when cooked and ready to serve.

I prefer less-sticky long grain rice because it clumps less. I usually make it plain to add to a recipe or to serve something over it. For this recipe, I wanted the rice to stand alone as a side with a Mexican flavor. To do that I create a chili-seasoned base before adding any liquid. It’s then boiled and covered. This allows the rice to drink up all of the yummy flavors while it hydrates and softens in the pot.

BEHIND THIS BITE

Mexican Stir Fry

I made the rice and featured it in the print version of my column and it ran with the introduction above. I didn’t have enough room in print for the entire stir fry recipe so I went with just the rice. I have been doing that a lot lately. I’m looking for ways to do more complex recipes for the web and using parts or simplified versions for the print column. It kills two birds with one stone.

That said ... the Mexican stir fry was a fun twist on the traditional Asian flavored classic, and it was a tasty meal. I used fresh corn that I sliced off the cob, which was a task. It was tasty and I’m glad I used it but with so many flavors in the mix, canned corn would have probably saved time without much sacrifice in flavor. Canned corn is much closer to the fresh stuff than green beans and many other canned vegetables.

The chipotle sauce I used is a go-to sauce that I get in the world food isle at the grocery. Had I been insanely ambitious with this recipe I would have made a homemade version, but sometimes you just have to say enough is enough – and I had just cut fresh corn off the cob – until the Food Network or Martha Stewart is payin' me big bucks for these recipes I'm just gonna have to use some ingredients from a can or jar!

Eat well, cook often ...

THE RECIPE

Mexican Stir Fry

Serves 6 to 8; 35 minutes
1 C Onion diced
1/2 C Jalapeño seeded, diced
1 Tbs Garlic minced
1 Tbs Chili powder
2 tsp Cumin
1 tsp Oregano
2 C Rice
4 C Water
2 lbs Chicken thighs, boneless, skinless
2 C Yellow corn
1 C Poblano pepper, seeded, chopped
1/2 C Chipotle sauce
Cilantro for garnish

Sauté vegetables
In a soup pot over medium heat sauté onion and jalapeño in a little olive oil until soft, 3 to 4 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste.

Toast spices, rice
Add garlic, chili powder, cumin, oregano and rice. Stir until well combined, let mixture toast for 2 minutes or until fregrant.

Finish rice
Add water, bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat. Simmer for 15 minutes, remove from heat but keep covered for 10 minutes more. Remove lid, fluff with a fork.

Make stir 
Fry While rice finishes, in a wok or skillet heated to medium-high brown chicken in a little olive oil. Salt and pepper to taste. When chicken is just cooked through, add corn, poblano and chipotle sauce. Cook until vegetables are soft, six to 8 minutes more. Adjust seasoning, serve over rice.

Chicken Stir Fry with Ramen

Printable version

Ramen noodles are a staple on college campuses and kitchens of the less well-to-do because they cost about $1.64 for a three month supply. Although they are cheap, I still think they're tasty. I am willing to buy cheap noodles, but lunch meat, well, that's another story. I'll just say I'll never buy bologna at the Dollar Tree - which is exactly where I purchased the ramen noodles I used in this delicious recipe. I wanted to use the noodles as a substitute for rice in a simple stir fry I was putting together as a dish for around twenty people.

I kept it very simple – four ingredients. I could have added more but this was really one of those situations where I thought I could come up with something that even the most inexperienced cook could make and be proud of their creation.

I'm pleased to say that this recipe was not just a simple dish for a simple cook, but a simple dish with rock star flavor! I inhaled a bowl of this after it was finished. This is a great item to have on the counter for a weekend meal.

BEHIND THIS BITE

Chicken Stir Fry with Ramen

I loved eating ramen noodles when I was in college and I still enjoy them today – who cares if they are a poor man’s food – they’re delicious and seem to absorb just about any type of flavor they're surrounded by. I made a spicy ramen soup a while ago and it, along with this, are two of my favorite noodle recipe from the past year.

I decided to make a ramen dish after my last pantry purge. A few weeks back I was putting away groceries and was having trouble finding room for a can of soup. I knew I had to get rid of some things. One of the items taking up space was a near-full 12-pack box of ramen noodles. When I volunteered to make a dish for a gathering at the local church, I knew I could wipe out most of the noodles. I used 6 packages, but still have another four left from a $1 box – they have to be the most economical food of all time!

Eat well, cook often ...


THE RECIPE

Chicken Stir Fry with Ramen

Serves 16 to 20; 1 hour
4 lbs Chicken thighs, cut in chunks
5 medium Green peppers, cut in strips
1 bottle Stir fry sauce (12 oz)
6 pkgs Ramen noodles (3 oz each)
3 Qrts Water
Sriracha sauce (optional)

Ramen noodles
Bring 3 quarts of water to a boil. Add ramen noodles. Boil for 3 to 4 minutes then remove from heat. Let rest for at least 10 to 15 minutes, allowing ramen to absorb some or most of the water. Drain if necessary.

Make stir fry
In a large pan over medium-high heat sear chicken in a little olive oil in batches, cook until almost cooked through. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove to a bowl. Add more oil if necessary, then sauté green pepper until soft, 5 to 6 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste. Return chicken to pan and cook until chicken is fully cooked.

Finish
Add ramen noodles and stir fry sauce to pot and mix until well combined. Cook until heated through. Remove from heat, place in bowls and serve with sriracha sauce.

Crock-Pot Chicken Stir Fry

Printable version

I realize that slow cooker stir fry is really an oxymoron. I guess I could call it slow cooker chicken and vegetables with stir fry flavors, but that's just not fun. This pot of yummy goodness tastes like a plate full of stir fry from a fast-food Chinese joint. I could have pumped up the flavors a little by adding some sautéd ginger and garlic but for a dish that will serve fifteen at a pot luck, this totally does the trick.

I made this in the afternoon and didn’t have to serve it until that evening, so for the purposes of the event, I mixed the rice together with the vegetables and reheated the two together before serving. I recommend this method if you’re taking it on the road just for the ease of travel.

BEHIND THIS BITE
This is yet another dish to add to my collection of recipes made to serve a crowd. It’s the first to be Asian inspired and I think I’m going to refine this in the future, like I mentioned in the beginning, I could do a few things that are relatively simple to punch up the flavors but this simple mix really does the trick. It's a low maintenance crowd pleaser.

I served this with srirach on the side.

A friend of mine at the get together put a fair amount of sriracha on his stir fry and that's when the fun began. I love to watch people eat really hot stuff. It seems that as they eat the dish the bites get quicker and quicker, the spicy heat is addicting and it's almost as if they're stoking the fire. Sometimes they’ll even sweat or have a runny nose. I can always tell when someone is indulging in something spicy and hot.

Sriracha is one of my favorites to eat and observe being devoured, it makes most domestic sauces labeled “hot” seem like a mild salad dressing – And it really hits the spot if you love the spice.

Eat well, cook often ...

THE RECIPE
12 to 15 servings; 2 hours, 30 minutes
3 lbs Chicken thighs, boneless and cut in pieces
3 lbs Stir fry vegetables, frozen
1 jar Stir fry sauce (12 oz)
2 C Rice
4 C Water

Brown chicken
In a large skillet over medium-high heat brown chicken thigh pieces in a little olive oil. Salt and pepper to taste. Cook in batches if necessary. Once browned move to crock-pot.

Cook vegetables
Mix vegetables and stir fry sauce with the chicken in crock pot. Cover and cook on high until vegetables are heated through and chicken is fully cooked, 2 hours. Serve over rice, see below.

THE RICE
In a large pot over medium-high heat toast rice in a little olive oil for 2 minutes. Add water and bring to a boil, cover and remove from heat. Let sit at least 25 minutes. Remove lid and fluff rice fork. 

Pork Fried Rice

Printable version

The Thai Pavilion in Astoria, Queens has the best pork fried rice I have ever eaten. I used to eat buckets of the stuff at their 30th Avenue location which is now closed and moved to another spot in the neighborhood.

Whenever I eat pork fried rice I compare it to the Pavilion. It has become my standard barer of all things fried rice. A single order would cost $9, which is a bit expensive, but it was enough for two people. The only bad thing about the price was that I had to get two orders for them to deliver because they required a minimum purchase of $10 to bring it to your door. (It is now a $15 minimum) It was light and spicy and perfectly prepared every time. Even cold leftovers directly from the fridge were good and didn’t clump up.

This recipe is my attempt at recreating the pork fried rice bliss of the Pavilion. The dish turned out delicious but I still think the Thai Pavilion has magic in their woks.

BEHIND THIS BITE
I took my Dad to eat at the Thai Pavilion during one of his visits and he agreed that the pork fried rice was outstanding. I was glad I got to take him to a nice restaurant that serves Asian cuisine. The majority of the Asian themed restaurants here in Fort Wayne are just run of the mill take-out joints or an all-you-can-eat buffet.

A good stir fry should come right out of a wok, to me, scooping beef and broccoli out of a hotel pan that has been on a buffet for two hours is low budget. Much like having a wine and cheese party with government cheese. It tastes ok but there is much better quality out there.

The best Asian restaurant experience that I’ve ever had was in Philadelphia. I don’t remember the name of the place but the beef chow fun I order was the best single Asian dish I have ever eaten and probably a top five meal of all-time on my list. I highly recommend finding a high-end Asian-style restaurant for special occasions - and I’m not talking about the Panda Express.

Eat well, cook often ...

THE RECIPE
Serves 4; 25 minutes
6 Tbs Vegetable oil, divided
1/2 C Green onions, sliced
1/2 C Carrot, shredded
2 tsp Ginger, minced
1 Tbs Garlic, minced
1 lb Pork, diced
2 Eggs, beaten
2 C Leftover rice, cold
2 Tbs Soy sauce
1 Tbs Sriracha sauce

Sauté vegetables
In a wok or large fry pan heat oil over medium high heat, add onions, carrot and ginger saute until soft 2 to 3 minutes, season to taste, remove from pan and wipe clean.

Cook pork
Add oil to pan and let it get hot, 1 to 2 minutes add garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 minute. Add pork, season to taste and cook through, 5 to 6 minutes. Remove from pan and wipe clean.

Cook Egg, rice, finish
Add remaining oil to pan, add eggs and scramble, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in rice, cook until browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Add soy sauce, sriracha, return pork and vegetables to pan and combine. Heat through, then serve.

Cajun Green Beans

Printable version

Green beans are nearing the end of their seasonal cycle in the Midwest. Since I can remember, most of the people in my family with gardens have a large portion dedicated to the little green pods – which means an almost never-ending supply for the entire family. I used to think the Jolly Green Giant was like the Tooth Fairy or Santa Claus, only he would sneak into our basement while we slept on Labor Day to stock the pantry with jars of canned green beans.

With an abundance around, I like to cook them fresh before they go bad or get canned. My favorite way to cook green beans is to blanch then, which means to boil until cooked through, then plunge them into ice water to stop the cooking process. They can then be reheated with other ingredients in the final dish.

For this recipe, after blanching the beans they are added to a mix containing Cajun seasoning and a New Orleans staple – Andouille sausage. It is served over rice for what I call Cajun Style Green Beans.

BEHIND THE BITES
I have mentioned Big John Maxwell, the Ragin’ Cajun, in several posts over the last few months and recreated some of the dishes I have cooked with him while catering weddings at the Shiloh. This dish is my first “Cajun” recipe I have attempted using John’s knowledge of cooking. It is my own creation, just inspired by some of the tid-bits I have picked up working with the Ragin' Cajun.

I basically create a stir fry with Cajun seasoning and andouille sausage. I use McCormick’s Gourmet Collection Cajun Seasoning in this dish and it does what good Cajun seasoning is supposed to do. John taught me that using a variety of different peppers like cayenne, black pepper and chilli pepper helps distribute the heat to different parts of the mouth. Individual peppers affect different areas. A great way to test this theory is to sample a jalapeno first and a habeñero second. I wouldn’t recommend eating them raw, but in sauces based with the peppers. You’ll find that the jalepeño hits right away in the front of the mouth while the habeñero take a few seconds and hits toward the back of mouth and throat. The habeñero will pack considerable more heat so beware. Good Cajun seasoning utilizes this concept and the McCormick seasoning does that well.

The Johnsonville Andouille sausage I picked up at Meijer was disappointing.  The overall recipe is really good - I will make it again for sure. I will use different andouille though, what I bought at Meijer was picked out of a meat case with hundreds of different sausages and it shows. It tasted more like a spicy smoky link, which is not bad, but I have had good andouille and I was expecting that. I’m disappointed but learned a great lesson when purchasing andouille in Fort Wayne: Go to a specialty meats retailer! Every so often it’s totally worth spending a little extra for great flavor.

This dish isn’t quite the soft shelled crab from the menu of John’s food truck, but it’s a nice start in experimenting with the flavors of New Orleans and the Bayou.

Eat well, cook often ...

THE RECIPE
Serves 4; 40 minutes  
1 lb Green beans, fresh, cleaned
1 Tbs Garlic, minced
1 C Red onion, diced
1 C Red pepper, diced
1 Tbs Cajun seasoning
1 lb Andouille Sausage, fully cooked, diced
2 C Rice
4 C Chicken, broth

Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot. Add green beans and salt to taste. Cook beans 7 to 8 minutes or until cooked through, remove and place in a large bowl of ice water for at least 5 minutes, then drain.

In a saute pan over medium heat with a little olive oil sauté onion, garlic, peppers and Cajun seasoning until soft, 5 to 6 minutes. Mix in beans and andouille. Cook until mixture is heated through, 6 to 8 minutes more. Divide mixture among plates and serve over rice.

THE RICE
In a pot, over medium high heat toss rice in a little olive oil until well coated and slightly toasted. Add chicken stock and bring to a boil. Cover and remove from heat. After 20 minutes, remove cover and fluff rice with a fork.

Spicy, Sweet and Sour Chicken

Printable version

I have started a new culinary adventure.

Recently, I was introduced to John Maxwell, a New Orleans Chef who was forced to relocate to Fort Wayne after Hurricane Katrina. He currently cooks at the Shiloh reception hall and is in the process of starting a food truck called “The Ragin’ Cajun.” The truck will deliver the cuisine of New Orleans to Fort Wayne and the surrounding areas.

John was in need of help at the hall and with the truck. After meeting with him at the Shiloh, I was asked to come aboard to assist him with the cooking and to help create an on-line social network for the Ragin' Cajun.

For this recipe, I create my own version of sweet and sour chicken over rice – the first dish I helped John prepare for a reception a couple weeks ago. It was intended for 160 people, so it was created differently at the Shiloh. This is a version for four that contains some heat from sriracha hot sauce. It’s the first of hopefully many creations inspired by this new adventure.

BEHIND THIS BITE
A little over two years ago I left New York City and the world of journalism to create a business for myself. A once in a lifetime opportunity that at the very least would allow me to sit back when I’m an old man and say “This is what I did” instead of “This is what I could have done.”

This blog featuring over 100 original recipes, 20,000 words, 1,500 photographs and a print column that has ran every week for the last two years is what I have built. At the very least I have written a how-to cookbook with a stunning visual presentation of my food and the story behind it.

In Early June, my cousin approached me with a card and an application. He said the Chef at the Shiloh was looking for some help. He wasn’t sure what “help” meant but he gave me assurance that these were solid people and I should at least go talk to them because he felt like I could offer some good services to them.
The card he gave me said “Ragin’ Cajun Food Truck - John Maxwell - Chef/Owner.” I thought what the hell. Cool concept for Fort Wayne. I’ll at least give the guy a call.

The Shiloh Catering and Reception Hall

A few days later I called John, his Bayou accent was clear and authentic, and I agreed to come have a look at the Shiloh and his food truck. He didn’t have a job description, but told me if I would check the place out he could explain it better.

When I went to meet John at the Shiloh, he first showed me the set up inside. Great space for cooking, lots of equipment, very clean and in general, a nice place. He then showed me the truck, which hadn’t been painted yet, and he talked to me about his menu and plans. The truck was a dream kitchen on wheels. char broiler, griddle, fryer, stove ... It’s loaded.

John is a native of New Orleans, and a true character. It was evident right from the get go. He reminded me of my old buddies back in Whitestone, Queens in the borough of New York City. I liked him right away. *1

We went back to the office of the Shiloh and talked for a while, at that time Jeff Parrot, the owner joined us. He had been looking at this blog while me and John were inspecting the truck. The Shiloh is primarily a family run business, at a reception, you’ll find Jeff’s wife pitching in as well as the kids. Jeff is a genuine guy with an entrepreneurial spirit who seems open to new ideas.

Big John's Ragin' Cajun Food Truck

We sat and talked about the possibilities of the food truck and the Shiloh, I told them my story. We agreed that we might be able to help each other business-wise with the different resources we all bring to the table. Since then, I have worked a couple of reception helping John cook and started a website for the Ragin’ Cajun Food Truck. (Which now has an awesome paint job.)

We’ll see where it goes from here. As I said in the introduction, It's a new culinary adventure. Can’t wait to see where it takes me.

Eat well, cook often ...

The picture at right is (from left counter clockwise) my mom holding my sister, great grandma, grandpa, me and my great great grandma. Five generations. Taken in September of 1979 at the Shiloh, during my great grandparents 50th wedding anniversary party. I was 5.

*1 - NOTE
In the Big Apple, as I am sure is the case with New Orleans (The Big Easy), you have to be a character if you want to survive and have any kind of success. In smaller places, it’s much safer to fit in with the crowd rather than to stand out. Not the case in New York - You fit in BY standing out, which brings more of people’s true character to the table, but ironically, makes them appear to have a tougher exterior.

Big John, the Ragin' Cajun, is definitely a character.

Spicy Chicken Stir Fry, Anytime!

It’s 5:10 p.m., I’m at the grocery store and looking for something to make for dinner. This scenario plays out ever day in America – What am I going to make for supper? Most of the time, I start by looking for meat and fresh vegetables that are on sale.

This time, I find a special on boneless chicken breast and decide to make a stir fry. I opt for a $2 bag of frozen vegetables to get a nice variety for a fraction of the cost of fresh ones. I then grab some fresh ginger on the way to the check-out. That is all I need at the store.

For this recipe, all other ingredients that will turn this into an Asian stir fry are at home in the pantry. At any time, I can turn meats and vegetables into a Mexican, Italian or Asian treat just by keeping a few items around in the fridge or cupboard. When I run out of a pantry item, I put it on the list just like bread or milk. All these items at once can be costly, but by planning and understanding the right ingredients to suit your taste, it is relatively easy to make a semi-gourmet meal like this whenever the urge hits.


BEHIND THIS BITE
I had made an entirely different recipe for this week's column when I was at the store getting the chicken, vegetables and ginger for the stir fry. On the way home it hit me – what I was doing at the moment – is what millions were doing at the same time. I love to make gourmet meals, but I don't cook like that every time I eat. Most of the time, I'm looking to make something quick, affordable, somewhat healthy and tasty.

I always have the pantry ingredients that are listed in this recipe. The hoisin sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar and soy sauce help make a yummy stir fry – and I make it a lot. I also use this combination of ingredients to make a barbecue sauce. (find recipe here)

Building a well stocked pantry is expensive initially. It becomes cost effective over time, because the hoisin and soy sauce go in the fridge, like ketchup, and the rice vinegar and sesame oil go in the cupboard. The next time you make stir fry, these ingredients are ready – and should last for a while. For me, The hoisin sauce runs out first, but a 9 ounce bottle should last for a few meals at least.

From time to time, I am going to do more of these "stock the pantry" recipes. It's more about practical cooking rather than the newest take on mango-wango fondu. (Which is fun to create also) With these simple ingredients you can make an endless amount of meals with a delicious Asian inspired flavor.

Eat well, cook often ...