Moo Goo Gai Pan

Though I love snow peas, I only really know of about two ways to eat them and they are both stir-fry.  Since last week's stir-fry was beef with a dark sauce, I thought chicken with a white garlic sauce would be a nice change.  The box this week did not have too many snow peas, so I supplemented with frozen peas I already had.(A note on woks:I like to use a wok for this recipe because I think it heats more evenly.  Mine is nothing fancy, but it does a good job for smaller recipes like this. See it here Calphalon Commercial Nonstick 10-Inch Stir Fry)

Serves 2-4
1 teaspoon cornstarch
2 tablespoon white wine
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/3 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup snow peas, stems removed
1/2 cup frozen peas
3 garlic scapes, diced
1 spring onion, diced
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon minced ginger
Pepper and garlic salt to taste
Rice, for serving


1. Mix cornstarch, wine, sugar, and chicken broth together in a measuring cup.  Whip until smooth.  Set aside.
2. Heat oil in wok or large skillet.  Saute snow peas, frozen peas, garlic scapes, and onion until bright and tender.  Remove vegetables from skillet, but strain well to leave as much oil as possible in the wok.
3. Return wok to heat with oil.  Saute chicken breast strips, garlic, and ginger until chicken is browned and cooked through.  Return vegetables to wok and stir.  Pour cornstarch-wine-sugar-broth mixture over chicken and vegetables.  Stir and cook until sauce is clear and thickened.  Season as needed with pepper and garlic salt.  Serve over rice.

Beef, Snap Peas, and Asparagus Stirfry

This recipe is a bit of an adaptation, but it was such a hit that it only needed a few tweaks.  I would guess that any dark green vegetable would work here, but I'm listing what I had.  This is also another of those sneaky healthy recipes, since the majority of the stir-fry is vegetables and the rice has whole-grain.  The fact that it tastes good is just a nice bonus. A note on woks:I like to use a wok for this recipe because I think it heats more evenly.  Mine is nothing fancy, but it does a good job for smaller recipes like this. See it here Calphalon Commercial Nonstick 10-Inch Stir Fry.

Serves 2-4

1 lb asparagus, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 cup snap peas, stems removed
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced ginger
1 lb sirloin tip steak, cut into strips against the grain
4 garlic scapes, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon cornstarch
Pepper, and garlic salt to taste
Brown rice, for serving

1. Mix together rice vinegar, sugar, and soy sauce in a measuring cup.  Stir in cornstarch until smooth.  Set aside.
2. Heat olive oil in a skillet or wok.  Saute beef and garlic scapes in oil until seared and cooked through, about 3-5 minutes.  Remove from wok with slotted spoon.
3. Saute snap peas, asparagus, garlic, and ginger in beef leavings.  Cook and stir until vegetables are bright green but still crisp.
4. Mix beef back into wok with the vegetables.  Top with vinegar-soy sauce sauce.  Cook and stir until sauce is thickened and clear, about 1-3 minutes.  Add pepper and garlic salt to taste and serve over the brown rice.