We eat stir fry a lot.  I use a basic recipe that is easy to tweak to make a variety of configurations.  Tonight it was beef with cashews.  I usually use either chicken or beef; I’ve used pork, but usually only for specific recipes that call for it.  Frequent accompaniments are bell peppers, asparagus, broccoli, and snow peas.

I am also thrilled to announce that this was the first family meal we’ve shared since Tobin was born that everyone ate.  I cooked one dinner tonight, people.  One.  This is a big deal for me.

It’s kind of fussy to prep, but it’s very quick once everything’s ready.

Basic sauce (all measures are approximate and can be adjusted to taste or quantity:

2 Tbsp corn starch
2 Tbsp sugar
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup rice wine or other dry white wine
1/3  cup soy sauce
2 Tbsp oyster sauce
a couple of squirts Sriracha
1 tsp sesame oil

Usual suspect additions

Canola oil
1 yellow onion
1 bunch green onions
a hunk of fresh ginger, peeled
several cloves of garlic
any combination of red bell peppers, broccoli florets, asparagus, snow peas, cashews, or other vegetables that seem like a good idea
~1 lb chicken or beef, cut thin

Make the sauce by combining all the ingredients; set aside.  Finely mince the garlic and ginger and combine in a small bowl with about 1 tsp canola oil.  Chop up the green onions and cut the yellow onion into reasonable slices.  Have any other veggies clean and cut and set aside.

Heat up some canola oil in a wok (med-high heat).  Add the yellow onion and any veggies that are going to take a while.  Let them get a bit tender but not overcooked.  Scrape a little clean area and add the oil + aromatics blend.  Saute it up on its own for a while, then stir it all up with the onions and veggies.

Pour contents of wok into a bowl and set aside.  Add the meat to the wok.  If you’re using chicken, add some more oil, and reduce the heat to medium.  If you’re using beef, probably no more oil is necessary, and you can keep the heat higher.

Cook until the meat is done, then add the veggies back and stir to combine.  Re-stir the sauce to get the corn starch redistributed, then pour over the meat and veggies.  Stir while it thickens over the heat, which will take about one minute.

Serve with hot rice, of course.