Veggie & Rice Stir-Fry

Ingredients

• 1 cup brown rice
• ½ pound broccoli
• 2 medium celery stalks
• 1 medium carrot
• 1 small jalapeño or other chili pepper
• 1 clove garlic
• 6 ounces boneless chicken pieces or firm tofu
• ¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 Tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
• 2 Tablespoons canola oil
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger

Materials

• Cutting board
• Measuring cups
• Measuring spoons
• Medium pot with lid
• Medium skillet
• Sharp knife
• Small bowl
• Vegetable peeler

Instructions

1. Cook rice following package directions. Set aside. Cover to keep warm. While rice is cooking, make veggie mixture.
2. Rinse and chop broccoli and celery. Peel, rinse, and chop carrots. Rinse and mince jalapeño. Peel and finely chop garlic.
3. If using chicken, remove any skin. Cut chicken into small pieces.
4. In a small bowl, stir together soy sauce, brown sugar, and cornstarch. Add 1 teaspoon of the minced jalapeño. Stir.
5. In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, heat oil. Add ground ginger and stir. Add chicken or tofu. Cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly browned and starting to cook through, about 2 minutes.
6. Add chopped veggies. Stir frequently. Cook until veggies are tender and chicken is completely cooked but not dry, about 5–7 minutes.
7. Add soy sauce mixture. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Simmer until sauce is slightly thickened, about 2 minutes.
8. Serve over warm brown rice.

Chef’s Notes

• Use any veggies you like. Be sure to cut all veggies into equal-size pieces so they cook evenly. Add denser veggies, like broccoli, celery, and root veggies, to the skillet first. Add veggies with a high water content, like squash or spinach, last.
• Cook more rice than you need for this recipe. Use it in another recipe, like Brown Rice and Orange Salad, later in the week. Or, flavor with herbs and cheese and use to fill veggie burritos.
• Use fresh ginger instead of ground. Peel and finely chop a 1-inch piece of fresh ginger. Add 2 teaspoons to the soy sauce mixture in step 4. Stir.