Gardein Stir Fry

I apologize for the delay since my most recent post, I was soaking up the rays in sunny Florida for the last two weeks!

Specialty vegan products like Gardein can be difficult to come by in my neck of the woods, so on the way back from the airport I stopped and picked up some Gardein Mandarin Chicken to try out.

It was excellent! Very crispy and the sauce was surprisingly good... I was afraid it would be sickeningly syrupy, but it was just right.

Before

After!

On to the stir fry.

Start with your wok. Don't have a wok? A big skillet will work just fine... but really, woks are fun. Get a wok.

Preheat the pan till it's quite hot, add some peanut oil, then let the fun ensue! I recommend having your vegetables already chopped, that way you don't risk any mishaps.

I work (wok?) my stir fry in five parts:

Aromatics

Garlic and ginger, and perhaps scallions, sesame seeds, or cashews if you so desire. Stir fry until... aromatic.

Veggies Part 1

Next I toss in vegetables that take a bit longer to cook. The list is never ending, but here are some of my favorites:

Carrot
Onion
Broccoli
Red pepper
Shiitake mushroom
Green bean



Veggies Part 2

Here go the quicker cooking vegetables, or those that just need to be heated up.

Greens (baby bok choy, chinese cabbage, or spinach)
Water chestnuts

Bean sprouts

Pea pods

Sauce

I typically just eyeball a few tablespoons of each with whatever's in my fridge. Whisk and pour.

Soy or teriyaki sauce
Sriracha sauce
Hoisin sauce
Sesame oil
More sesame seeds
Agave nectar or brown sugar
1 Tbs. cornstarch (if you want a thick sauce)
Coconut milk


Protein

I like to saute this in a separate pan, just to make sure it gets nice and crispy. Marinated tofu, seitan, tempeh, the world is your oyster! In this case, I used those tasty chik'n pieces. Serve everything atop some fluffy jasmine rice.