by Gardenuity

Packed with lean protein and hearty vegetables, stir-fries are healthy and hearty without sacrificing an inch of flavor. Add in anti-inflammatory ingredients like ginger, and you’re looking at a meal that serves your body, inside and out. 

The best part? Most stir-fries come together in under thirty minutes. 

We love using chicken, mushrooms, and spinach in our cooking as often as possible. While the lean protein in chicken is an obvious win, it’s the vegetables that really pack the nutrients.  Mushrooms are rich in potassium and can help lower blood pressure, boost immunity and prevent some cancers. Mean, green spinach is responsible for reducing blood sugar, strengthening bones, and even relaxing the body (seriously!).  

Helpful Hints

Cut to size. When cooking stir-fries, it’s important to cut all of your ingredients to similar sizes, in this case, the chicken and mushrooms. This helps ensure that everything is cooked evenly, as well as adds to the overall aesthetic of the dish. 

Don’t touch your mushrooms! When you add your mushrooms into the pan, you may want to give them a quick stir and add salt. Resist the temptation! Let your mushrooms sit and brown for at least five minutes and up to seven. They’ll develop a delicious, crispy crust that might make them even rival the chicken in savoriness. Stirring or adding salt too early will disrupt the maillard reaction. 

Sweeten with hoisin. Some stir fry recipes sweeten things up with brown sugar. We instead like using hoisin, which will give you a similar sweetness as well as a savory, plummy umami. If you like things super sweet, you can add a tablespoon of brown sugar in addition to the hoisin. 

Get creative. Stir-fries are fun and easy to make your own. Experiment with steak and pork, add in extra vegetables like broccoli or snap peas or bring in new flavors with Chinese five-spice or heat with sriracha or gochugaru. 

Course: Main Cuisine: Asian Difficulty: Medium

Servings: 4

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 20 minutes

This stir fry is the perfect balance of healthy and hearty!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs
• 8 oz. mushrooms, sliced or torn
• 3 Tbsp neutral oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced or grated
• 1 Tbsp ginger, minced or grated
• 2 tsp sesame oil
• ⅓ cup soy sauce (we recommend reduced sodium)
• 1 Tbsp hoisin sauce
• 1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
• ¼ cup flour
• 2 heaping cups spinach 
• Salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS

• Cook the chicken: In a large skillet or wok, heat one tablespoon of neutral oil. Once hot, add in the chicken, taking care not to overcrowd the pan. Season with salt and pepper, and sautée until brown and just cooked through. Remove to a bowl, and set aside. 
• Cook the mushrooms: In the same skillet, heat another tablespoon of neutral oil, and, once hot, add the mushrooms. Leave them to brown, without stirring, for between 5-7 minutes, then sprinkle with salt and pepper and sautée. Put the mushrooms in the same bowl as the chicken, and set them aside. 
• Make the sauce: Add the final tablespoon of neutral oil to the pan. Once hot, add the garlic and ginger and stir until fragrant. Add sesame oil, soy sauce, hoisin, broth, and flour, and stir until smooth and well combined.
• Stir fry: Add chicken and mushroom back into the pan, and stir. Once completely coated, add in the spinach and sautée. When spinach is wilted, remove from heat. Enjoy over rice or your favorite whole grain.