Easy & Healthy Chicken Stir Fry

I am trying to get back into the rhythm of preparing my weekday food on Sunday’s. Or at least playing “sous chef” so that week days are easier and have a less likelihood for cheating. I find that I’m better with this in the fall/winter/spring than summer. I just want to be outside as much as possible in the summer, which isn’t very helpful.

This weekend I was out doing a weekly grocery shop and instead of picking up regular chicken breasts as I normally would, I opted for chicken tenders instead (I’m such a rebel…I know haha). Once the tenders were on the menu, I instantly felt a desire to make stir fry which I haven’t done in ages. I LOVE stir fry dishes for a number of reasons; they’re über easy, healthy, loaded with veggies and great for reheating. Here is my HautePNK approved Chicken Stir Fry recipe which is spiked with a colourful mix of snow peas, carrots, sprouts, bell peppers and much more…

Ingredients:

• 1 lemon (you’ll need zest from the lemon and 4 tbsp of juice)
• 1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth
• 3 tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce (ensure you read the ingredients to make sure there is no MSG!)
• 2 tsp cornstarch
• Olive Oil
• 1 lb organic boneless, skinless chicken breast, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
• 10 oz portobello mushrooms, halved or quartered
• 1 cup diagonally cut carrots (1/4 inch thick)
• 1 cup of broccoli
• 1/2 cup yellow and red bell peppers, diced
• 2 cups of snow peas with stems and string removed
• 1 tbsp chopped garlic
• 1 cup bean sprouts
• 1 bunch of scallions cut into 1-inch pieces

1. Grate the lemon zest, set aside.
2. Juice the lemon and whisk 4 tbsp of the juice with the chicken broth, soy sauce and cornstarch in a small bowl, set aside.
3. Heat some olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook stirring occasionally, until cooked through.
4. Transfer to a plate with tongs.
5. Add mushrooms and carrots to the pan and cook until the carrots are just tender.
6. Add the broccoli and lemon zest, cook for another 2 minutes.
7. Add the snow peas, garlic, peppers.
8. Cook, stirring until fragrant (about 1 – 2 more minutes).
9. Lastly add the scallions, bean sprouts and chicken stirring until heated through, 1 to 2 more minutes.
10. ENJOY!

Tips to remember:

• Remember, not all veggies are created equal, so it’s important not to add all veggies in at once because some require more or less cooking time (to avoid having them too hard or too mushy). Following the order above should keep you safe.
• Feel free to substitute other thinly sliced vegetables, such as zucchini or baby corn.
• I served this with some brown rice, but you can also make it with rice noodles.
• If you don’t want to make your own sauce because you’re pinched for time, it isn’t the end of the world to use a prepared  stir fry sauce. I like to keep some VH branded stir fry sauces in my pantry because they don’t contain MSG. I would encourage making your own sauce though to save on those empty calories that can sneak up on you in prepared sauces.
• My pictures show a lot more food than what I’ve called out, that’s because I made double the recipe to take me through the week
• Feel free to substitute chicken for beef
• Always always always try to invest a little bit more so that you can get organic meat and veggies whenever possible. It isn’t that much more expensive but makes the world of difference when it comes to avoiding antibiotics, steroids, pesticides etc.

Keep me posted on how you like it or any adjustments you made! Hope you enjoy it as much as I have been.

xxxo
M