Friday, April 6, 2018

Chicken & Cauliflower Veggie Stir-Fry

Last night I didn't really have a plan for dinner so I sort of pulled something together based on what was in my fridge that needed to be used. I had a couple packages of Perdue boneless chicken breasts, a bag of Cauliflower Pearls (essentially small diced fresh cauliflower), a small head of fresh broccoli, a bag of carrots, a few green spring onions, and a few very ripe Campari tomatoes sitting on the counter. That became the basis of our meal. I pulled out both of my woks and had them going at the same time to hasten meal prep time.

I diced 2 boneless chicken breasts and sliced 3 green spring onions and tossed them into my nonstick wok after heating a bit of olive oil in it over medium-high heat. While that was cooking, I cut the broccoli up into florets (about 1-1/2 cups). I diced one medium carrot and then diced 3 small Campari tomatoes. I kept stirring the chicken as it was cooking, and then set it aside when done. In my regular wok, I placed the broccoli and diced carrot along with about 1/4 cup of water, covered it and steamed the veggies over medium-high heat for a few minutes.

I moved the veggies over to a plate and wiped the wok dry and then added a couple of tablespoons of olive oil to it and placed it over medium-high heat. I poured the entire 2-lb bag of Taylor Farms Cauliflower Pearls into the wok, seasoned with salt and covered to cook for about 5 minutes, stirring it a few times. I uncovered the wok and turned the heat up to high while stir-frying the cooked cauliflower pearls to let them dry out a bit. I added the chicken, broccoli and carrots to the cauliflower and tossed in the diced tomato, then seasoned with salt and pepper, to taste. Before serving I added crumbled feta cheese because everything is "betta with feta", right? It just added a nice salty little kick. I topped our meal with a few roasted salted almonds to add a bit of crunch. Even though it seems like a mish-mosh of ingredients...and it was, it was really good! We have plenty left for another meal as well. It was an interesting way to combine a lot of veggies and chicken into a meal that was tasty by using what I had on hand. I snapped a few photos below. Enjoy!






       

4 comments:

CyberSis said...

Hi GGC,

We had this recipe for supper tonight. It was delicious and it earned a "thumbs-up" Hubby Approval Rating. I had some left-over deli chicken so I subbed it for the raw chix. I cubed it up and added it at the end just to warm it up. Easy-peasy. Also had some edible pod peas on hand, so I steamed a few along with the broccoli & carrots. I can see myself tweaking this dish a little bit this way or that, according to what's in the fridge.

My wok is packed away someplace (had to "sacrifice" it when we went to a "down-sized" kitchen.) I used my 12" heavy cast iron skillet instead and it worked super well (with a cookie sheet for a lid.) I actually purchased it *after* the small-kitchen move. Sliding it in the cupboard standing up on its edge keeps it handy AND it takes up very little space even though it's huge. I have a great reason to use it more often now! :-)

Gourmet Girl Cooks said...

Hi CyberSis!

Your version sounds yummy! Is your smaller kitchen in a different house or did you simply pack stuff away to make more room? Great idea using your cast iron skillet too! I need to unpack mine. I’ve got most of my kitchen stuff not used regularly on shelves in my basement. I literally have a “kitchen room” Believe it it not there is still several boxes I didn’t unpack. I haven’t unpacked most of my cookbook collection either. I just can’t part with them yet. I probably won’t move them again but will donate, give away or sell whenever I move again. None of my kids would be interested in them unfortunately.

Not sure about your spring weather where you are but ours has been so odd. High pollen counts in the 3,000+ range combined with frigid temps. Nothing loges together better than winter coats, turtlenecks and spring pollen! 😮

Gourmet Girl Cooks said...

*goes together. I should spellcheck before sending, not after! 😂

CyberSis said...

Hi GGC,

The wok never even made it into the house. When we came back from Alaska we decided to move *temporarily* into a small house that my parents owned while we looked for the place where we were *really* going to live. Well, so far, that hasn't happened. This was my grandparents' final retirement home, after a number of *their* down-sizings over the years. The area around here has a certain appeal, you might say, so here we are. Hubby converted the garage into a "man cave" (we built a new garage for the cars!) and I have a nice little office (where I spend way too much time.) So, when you think about it, there actually IS enough room without tripping over each other -- except, of course for the kitchen. :-) (LOL! I bet you're sorry you asked!)

My grandmother was an *exceptional* cook & baker and I have no earthly idea how she managed to literally turn out Feasts & Banquets from this kitchen! There was even a a space with a kitchen table, which we promptly turned into cupboards, cabinets, and a counter! I have a sort of "kitchen room" too, where I keep bulkier items (along with a freezer, book cases, knitting stuff, and clothing racks!) But, alas, the wok just didn't want to fit in. I'll also be giving a lot of stuff away, I suppose -- one of these days. (I'm still trying to figure out how to "re-purpose" the bread maker and rice cooker!)

"Spring"? What's that? It's been crazy so far here, too. C-O-L-D! We had a saying in Anchorage ... "It just wouldn't be Easter without snow." Well, we had an Alaska Easter this year! Might warm up to 62 later this week, but it's been all 20s, 30s, and just a tiny bit of 40s all "Spring." I hope the cold weather has "inactivated" all that pollen of yours -- my brother gets that, too, in FL, and I know it can be quite a problem! I wonder if all this cold weather means a hotter than usual summer? That would add insult to injury for sure.

PS: I know all about the Spellchecking Woes! ;-)