Life should be easy.

I believe it: life should be easy.

Or, at least, life should not be hard. So I just popped in the oven 12 mini-strawberry and lemon pies (of course I had to add lemon, I am addicted to lemon) which has so far taken 5 hours to make! This is not easy, this is hard, and probably the last time that I will make mini pies (until mincemeat pie season, because I want to try those). Anyway, those pies = next blog = 30min/pie each = whoever eats them better love them.

So I wanted to post a quick and easy recipe, complete opposite of what I did today. We have had stir fry chicken and veggies with rice two days this week - which is a testament to how amazing (and easy!) it is. Potentially one of my favorite meals ever - and those are two days per week that we are not eating pizza (which my boyfriend would eat 7 days a week if there was enough pizza in the world).


You need: veggies (whatever you like - I use white onion, carrots, celery and green pepper), chicken (or tofu or another meat or you can take the protein out, I am flexible with what you decide to make for yourself), rice and about two table spoons of oil (I love this recipe with peanut oil but we didn't have it so we used regular olive oil).

Choppy chop chop - Get your oil warming in a pan (usually medium or medium/high), add thinly sliced onion and let those fry up beautifully as you chop the other veggies.

 

At the same time, start your rice. To be honest, I never cook the rice, because I usually burn it or it all sticks, so the boyfriend makes the rice, perfect, every time, I don't know how he does it. My best suggestion is to follow the package instructions (you have ever right to close this tab and never return to my blog again - "she is telling me to follow the directions on my own package, useless!" I understand.) Moving on.

When your onions are starting to caramelize and are completely soft, add your other veggies to the pan. (The picture above looks like my veggies were pretty chunky but in fact, the carrots were slivered width wise into 1/6ths - I say the thinner the better for all stirfry veggies.)

In a separate pan, start your proteins. Although I prefer fresh, we had only frozen chicken breasts available so I took enough for two hearty servings out and grilled them up (on medium). 

See the veggies, chicken, and rice, all living harmoniously on one stove?

Once the chicken is cooked (or no longer frozen, ugh), chop it up in quarter size pieces and toss it on in with the veggies. Don't be shy. Your veggies should be softening up nicely and the onions will be caramelizing beautifully.

The chicken will pick up the oil from the pan and start searing nicely with the veggie flavors. Leave frying for another 10 minutes. 

Just pile that deliciousness on top of the rice - I like to add a little soy sauce, and voila, life could not get easier!

I am wishing you a wonderful and *easy* day! Cheers.