Stir fry

I tend to make my own and it tastes pretty good. You can buy the stir fry vegetables frozen or make your own. I like to use sugar snap or snow peas in the pod, carrots, onion, celery, bell or sweet peppers and water chestnuts. I like mine a little spicy so I add some jalapenos or red pepper flakes. I also usually add chicken or shrimp to mine. For a sauce I use low sodium soy sauce and sometimes mix in a little honey to sweeten it up. Throw over some brown rice or eat plain and it makes for a very filling meal. Hope this helps!

To make something taste "chinese" you need a few things: soy sauce, garlic, ginger, and rice wine or dry sherry, plus a little corn starch or arrowroot. Most prepared "stir fry sauces" are just combinations of these things, plus sugar usually. More specialty ingredients like hoisin or fermented black beans (douchi) can add variation.

Stirfry is done on as high a heat as your stove will do, as fast as possible. (Don't use teflon for stir fry because the temps are too high and can cause teflon to outgas dangerous vapors.) I usually do mine outside on a high BTU gas turkey fryer, but a high stove will work if batches are small.

You CANNOT get away without a little oil. Cooking spray won't do it. Don't obsess over this, the whole dish will be so low in Cals that a tablespoon of oil is no big deal. Use any high-temp oil; peanut oil is the classic choice. Soy ("vegetable oil") is ok, as is lard or canola (if you eat that yucky stuff). Avoid anything with a flavor like olive oil.

Pick a protein and any combination of veg that you like. Cabbage is great for bulk, chopped into thin ribbons. Actually anything should be chopped relatively small so it cooks quickly. Prep everything first before turning on the heat, including the sauce. Sauce for 3 cups single serving finished portion is about 1/4 cup each of soy sauce, rice wine/sherry, and water or broth plus a tablespoon of corn starch made into a slurry. If you want to add a bit of sweetness to be more like "American" chinese food, use real sugar or splenda; you can't cook with aspartame.

Add half the oil to a preheated pan, add the ginger and garlic, then IMMEDIATELY add the protein so the garlic doesn't burn. Cook the protein by itself until it is done, then either remove from the pan or push up the sides of the wok if you have room. Add the rest of the oil and the veggies. Stir fry them, moving constantly for 3 or 5 minutes, mix the proteins back in and continue to fry another minute or so. Add the sauce all at once, and continue until it boils to set the starch. If you're adding noodles, do it at the same time as the sauce. Don't cook it long enough to steam, just about another minute. Get it off the fire and eat.

Sounds yum! been looking for a good stir fry...will definitely try this one