Use a wok to prepare delicious, healthful dishes in minutes.
By Janet Groene, F47166
May 2016
One fire, one pan, and a few minutes of quick cooking add up to fast and healthful meals in many places around the world. That’s why I keep stir-fry recipes handy in my 21-foot Type C motorhome. And it’s why, for many of us, steel woks are on the must-have list.
Most of the prep is done ahead of time, so these stir-fry ideas are ideal for hurried meals on the go. Let’s make it even easier. Although we think of rice as the usual base for stir-fry, many such recipes stand alone or can be served over a base that doesn’t require cooking. Try spooning the hot dish over chow mein noodles or over grated cabbage or carrots.
Beef ’N’ Beer Stir-Fry
This recipe will remind you of a bodega beef stew. It’s a one-dish meal. Alcohol boils away, leaving only the flavors you remember from your junior year abroad.
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 pound beef strips (fajita cut) OR 1 pound coarsely ground beef (chili grind)
1 diced onion
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 cup chopped mushrooms
1 20-ounce can small whole potatoes, drained and rinsed
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup dark beer or ale (or more for a soupier stew)
1 15-ounce can diced or sliced carrots, drained (optional)
1 cup peas, thawed (optional)
Heat the oil and keep the fire hot while gradually stirring in the beef until it’s no longer red. Continue stir-frying over high heat while adding the onion, garlic, mushrooms, and potatoes. When everything is nicely browned, stir in the tomato paste and beer. Boil for two minutes and stir in the carrots and peas to heat through. Makes four to six servings.
Liberian Groundnut Stew
You’ll need a large wok for this big batch of tasty, soupy ragout that can be served over a starch base such as rice, noodles, spaghetti, or chow mein noodles. If you’re serving fewer people, enjoy the leftovers by reheating them in a microwave oven the next day.
2 pounds beef for stew, cut in small pieces
1/3 cup flour
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon chili powder
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 medium onions, diced
2 to 3 cloves garlic, chopped
6 cups water
1 6-ounce can tomato paste
½ cup peanut butter
Put the flour and seasonings in a large, clean bag and shake it to mix. Add the beef and shake the bag to coat the meat. Discard the bag and the excess flour mixture. Brown the beef in hot oil, gradually stirring in the onions and garlic. When the onions are soft and the beef is browned, continue stirring over high heat while adding water and tomato paste alternately to mix well. Continue stir-frying while adding peanut butter a teaspoon at a time. Makes eight servings.
Meatball Curry
This meaty, one-dish recipe calls for condiments usually served with curry, such as chutney, pineapple chunks, apple or banana slices, peanuts, and/or shredded coconut. Make your own rice or use a pouch of ready-to-serve regular or jasmine rice.
1 16- to 20-ounce bag frozen meatballs
2 cups cooked rice
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 large onions, diced
2 large cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons vinegar
3 tablespoons curry powder
1 10-ounce jar or can chicken gravy
Thaw the meatballs. Set the rice aside. Heat the oil and stir-fry the onions and garlic until they are crisp-tender. Stir the vinegar and curry powder together and stir into the hot onion mixture. Mix well to release the curry flavor. Add the gravy and fold in the meatballs and rice to heat through. Makes four to five servings.
Pork And Eggplant Toss-Up
Serve this as a one-dish dinner or spoon it over your starch base of choice.
1 16-ounce eggplant, peeled and cut in french-fry-size strip
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 pound lean ground pork or turkey
1 tablespoon minced ginger
1 tablespoon minced garlic
¼ cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
Water
1 bunch scallions
Put the eggplant strips and cornstarch in a clean bag and shake it to coat the strips. Discard the extra cornstarch. Heat the oil and stir-fry the ground meat until it’s no longer pink. Keep stirring over high heat while adding the ginger and garlic, and then the eggplant, soy sauce, sugar, vinegar, sesame oil, and cayenne, and as much water as needed to keep the ingredients moist. Garnish with trimmed, sliced scallions. Makes four to six servings.
Chicken Fajita And Frijole Stir-Fry
Make this stir-fry more colorful by using one green, one red, and one yellow sweet pepper. No gravy is created here, so this dish is easier to make and lower in carbs.
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 pound chicken strips (fajita cut)
1 large onion, cut in crescents (about 1 cup)
3 small bell peppers, seeded and cut in strips (about 3 cups)
1 tablespoon garlic salt
1 to 1 ½ cups salsa (hot, medium, or mild)
1 15-ounce can red or black beans, rinsed and drained
Heat the oil to shimmering and begin stir-frying the chicken over high heat. When the chicken firms, gradually stir in the onion and peppers until they are crisp-tender. Stir in the garlic salt, salsa, and beans to heat through. Serve as is with tortillas or spoon over a base. Makes four to six servings.
Garlic Shrimp
Vampires will avoid your campsite after you serve this very garlicky shrimp. Technically it isn’t a wok dish except for the garlic, which is turned into a flavor powerhouse by deft stir-frying. Take care; garlic burns easily. When you lay a clove of garlic on a cutting board and smoosh it with the flat side of a knife, the papery cover falls away.
1 10-ounce box frozen chopped spinach, thawed
1 16- to 20-ounce bag of large peeled, deveined frozen shrimp
6 to 8 large cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
1 12-ounce jar salsa (hot, medium, or mild)
Press the spinach dry. Thaw and drain the shrimp. Flash-fry the garlic in hot oil, keeping a close eye on it so it doesn’t burn. When the garlic is golden, add the tomato sauce and salsa. When the mixture comes to a boil, fold in the spinach. Bring it back to a boil and fold in the shrimp just until it firms and turns pink. Serve with chunks of hearty bread. Makes four to six servings. Leftovers will heat well in the microwave the next day.
Rice Noodle Stir-Fry
Unlike pasta that is cooked in large amounts of boiling water, rice noodles simply can be soaked in hot water if you’re using them in a stir-fry. Use as many different vegetables as possible: red and green peppers, garlic, sweet onion, eggplant matchsticks, celery, bean sprouts, trimmed snow peas, asparagus cuts, bamboo shoots, baby corn, etc.
1 8-ounce box of rice noodles
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 large eggs OR 1/2 pound lean ground pork
4 cups chopped vegetables
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
Sliced scallions (optional)
Hot sauce (optional)
Soak the rice noodles in hot water for about 10 minutes to soften them. If using pork, stir-fry it in hot oil until it’s no longer pink, then stir-fry the vegetables until they are crisp-tender. If not using pork, add the eggs after the vegetables are crisp-tender. Keep stir-frying over quick heat while adding drained noodles. Add a little water or broth if necessary to maintain moisture. When everything is hot, stir in the sesame oil and soy sauce. Stir well. Sprinkle with scallions. Pass the hot sauce. Makes four servings.
Potato And Spinach Tortilla
Serve this mellow vegetarian mixture for any meal of the day, including breakfast.
1 10-ounce box frozen chopped spinach
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium onion, diced
3 cups frozen hash brown potatoes, thawed
Salt, pepper
1 pint (2 cups) container egg substitute
Grated cheese (optional)
Thaw the spinach and press out the excess moisture. Heat the oil and stir-fry the onion, gradually stirring in the potatoes and spinach over high heat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. When the potatoes and onions are soft, pour the egg substitute over it all.
At this point, you can continue to stir until the eggs are mixed in and set, or cover the wok, reduce the heat, and let the eggs set in one layer over the potatoes. Sprinkle with grated cheese if you wish. Makes four to six servings.
Stir-Fry Tips
- Woks are designed with a wide top and small bottom to contact with quick heat for flash frying. Preheated oil helps hold the heat.
- Know your oils. Peanut oil is favored by many restaurant and home cooks because of its modest price and high flash point (also called the smoke point, the temperature at which the oil is close to flaming up). Butter and lard have a low smoke point. Other oils that can be heated to higher temperatures include safflower, avocado, and soy, but heat limits vary according to how the oil was refined.
- Heat the oil, then cook meat or poultry first. For food safety, they should be cooked thoroughly. This also helps to develop the flavor that the vegetables will absorb.
- For additional food safety, start with precooked chicken or beef strips. They’re sold in vacuum packs in refrigerated supermarket cases.
- Be aware of special instructions for woks that have a nonstick coating. Some are more heat-tolerant than others.
- It’s useful to have a lid that fits the wok. Some dishes require longer, steamier cooking.
- Oils, not pan sprays, are the best way to lubricate steel woks. Many cooking sprays leave a sticky residue.
- Instead of ground meat, start the stir-fry with lean sausage. It’s already seasoned.