NationStates Jolt Archive

Stir-Fry. Some love it, some hate it. Others... Not so much. I would be one of the stir-fry lovers.

It's great. You just need meat, vegetables, and sauce, and you're all set. Hell, even noodles! Lo Mein noodles kick ass in stir-fry.

I really don't have a favorite stir-fry recipe... In fact, I don't even know any. I just cook some beef, mix it in with vegetables and sauce in a wok, and cook. How about you? What's your favorite stir-fry? Or, if you loathe it, tell us why. We will have fun ridiculing you :D.

Hell yeah stir-fry is good. I like AUTHENTIC stir-fry, the kind with the 100 year old eggs chopped up in there and the brown rice with the egg in it and celery and soy sauce. Yummers!

Mmm...stir-fry

Stir-fry rocks.
http://punkrockgrrl.net/punk.gif

I prefer brown rice to lo mein noodles in my stir fry. But stir fry does indeed kick ass. I went out and bought a $100 wok just so I could stir fry at home. :D

I prefer brown rice to lo mein noodles in my stir fry. But stir fry does indeed kick ass. I went out and bought a $100 wok just so I could stir fry at home. :D

It's worth it. The Wok really does cook it better than a basic pan.

It's worth it. The Wok really does cook it better than a basic pan.

To get proper stir fry, you HAVE to have the wok. The regular frying pan just doesn't cut it. I found that out the hard way. And you have to get a good wok, too. No cheapo $10 wok from Wal-mart.

To get proper stir fry, you HAVE to have the wok. The regular frying pan just doesn't cut it. I found that out the hard way. And you have to get a good wok, too. No cheapo $10 wok from Wal-mart.

Yeah. I've got a huge red one that's resting peacefully on my washing machine (it was about $75 at Sam's). For some reason, though, my dad insists on using a frying pan... And putting cheese in the stir-fry... Meh.

Yeah. I've got a huge red one that's resting peacefully on my washing machine (it was about $75 at Sam's). For some reason, though, my dad insists on using a frying pan... And putting cheese in the stir-fry... Meh.

Cheese? That's gross.

I've got a big, black one that I got at one of those kitchen stores for $99. It's 18 inches, I think, so I can stir fry up a ton o' food all at once.

What do you put in your stir fry? I prefer chicken or sometimes shrimp. I've never been a big beef fan in stir frys.

Cheese? That's gross.

I've got a big, black one that I got at one of those kitchen stores for $99. It's 18 inches, I think, so I can stir fry up a ton o' food all at once.

What do you put in your stir fry? I prefer chicken or sometimes shrimp. I've never been a big beef fan in stir frys.

Cheese is extremely gross in stir-fry. At least I could barely taste it this time! But what's worse is when he dumps fruit into it. He's put pineapple, which ruins the flavor of certain types of stir-fry, and he's also put *shudder* plum jelly in. Eugh.

I'm pretty sure my red wok's the same size. It's a monster.

I like pork the most, with beef in second. Next comes shrimp, and chicken's dead-last on my list. Chicken used to be near the top, but my dad always goes overboard with seasonings and additives... I suppose chicken will go way up on my list when I start making the stir-fry again.

Cheese is extremely gross in stir-fry. At least I could barely taste it this time! But what's worse is when he dumps fruit into it. He's put pineapple, which ruins the flavor of certain types of stir-fry, and he's also put *shudder* plum jelly in. Eugh.

I'm pretty sure my red wok's the same size. It's a monster.

I like pork the most, with beef in second. Next comes shrimp, and chicken's dead-last on my list. Chicken used to be near the top, but my dad always goes overboard with seasonings and additives... I suppose chicken will go way up on my list when I start making the stir-fry again.

Cheese in a stir fry seems like a bad idea. It gets all sticky and burnt and stuff. Gross.

I've never tried any kind of fruit in a stir fry, but it doesn't seem particularly appetizing. Maybe pineapple if I was going with a Polynesian thing, but I don't usually do that, so I don't know. Plum jelly, eww.

I like pork well enough, as well. Forgot about pork. I personally like chicken the best, but I can see how it might be gross in a stir fry with pineapple, plum jelly, and cheese. :) The problem your dad has with overseasoning is something I've noticed a lot of people do with stir frys. They want to add in every spice imaginable, but really, a stir fry is a minimalist affair. You really don't want to fancy it up with all this extraneous crap, because that gets in the way of how it's supposed to taste. People can be weird sometimes.

Man, he does that with everything. Burgers, steaks, barbecue... You name it.

I should really take over the kitchen from now on. I'm getting sick of his over-seasoning! The last time I made stir-fry was three years ago, and it's some of the best I've ever had. I'm not bragging, I'm just saying how bad the stuff my dad makes is!

Stir-fry isn't supposed to taste like spicy, charred mixed vegetables. With cheese.

Edit --- Pineapples and oranges are great in Polynesian-style stir-fry (well, from the pre-mixed freezer bags I've had). But with everything else, it really ruins the flavor.

Man, he does that with everything. Burgers, steaks, barbecue... You name it.

I should really take over the kitchen from now on. I'm getting sick of his over-seasoning! The last time I made stir-fry was three years ago, and it's some of the best I've ever had. I'm not bragging, I'm just saying how bad the stuff my dad makes is!

I can imagine. It sounds like your father doesn't make a very good stir fry.


Stir-fry isn't supposed to taste like spicy, charred mixed vegetables. With cheese.

And plum jelly. :)

I can imagine. It sounds like your father doesn't make a very good stir fry.

Every now and then, he does. He made some earlier today that would've been gold if he didn't dump Parmesan cheese in it. And if he didn't put okra in it. And he could've taken it easy on the salt and pepper, or just left it out completely. Ehh. It was pretty good, but as I said, it would've been great without those things.

And plum jelly. :)

Yeah... Gross.

Every now and then, he does. He made some earlier today that would've been gold if he didn't dump Parmesan cheese in it. And if he didn't put okra in it. And he could've taken it easy on the salt and pepper, or just left it out completely. Ehh. It was pretty good, but as I said, it would've been great without those things.

It sounds like he's mixing stir fry with Italian cooking....

It sounds like he's mixing stir fry with Italian cooking....

He's mixing something, that's for sure...

This deserves a bump...

YUM!

Chicken with sweet chilli sauce glazing it, topped with toasted cashews is great with steamed rice.

Also, chicken or pork with honey, chilli, sesame oil and a touch of Xaoxing wine and loads of garlic!

Hokkien noodles are great too.
Edi: And my mum males a nice nasi goreng, or mee goreng. Yum, but soooooo spicy!

At last, a thread about the good things in life.

YUM!

Chicken with sweet chilli sauce glazing it, topped with toasted cashews is great with steamed rice.

Also, chicken or pork with honey, chilli, sesame oil and a touch of Xaoxing wine and loads of garlic!

Hokkien noodles are great too.

Sounds good!

Ever tried dumping cooked Ramen noodles in stir-fry? I mean, seasoning and all (not the broth, though). It's great.

Thai fried noodles. Plenty of pepper.

Sounds good!

Ever tried dumping cooked Ramen noodles in stir-fry? I mean, seasoning and all (not the broth, though). It's great.
Yup, thats always a quick failsafe dinner. :D

Does anyone have a ramen-noodle based stir fry recipe they wanna share? Preferably of course, something easy and enjoyable. When I say easy I mean, use layman's terminology not all fancy technical cooking terms which puts me off.

Yup, thats always a quick failsafe dinner. :D

You've got that right!

Hmm... Well, I'm really not a recipe person. So sorry, no recipies here...

Does anyone have a ramen-noodle based stir fry recipe they wanna share? Preferably of course, something easy and enjoyable. When I say easy I mean, use layman's terminology not all fancy technical cooking terms which puts me off.

Ramen Noodle Stir Fry:

Sliced onion
Sliced celery
Sliced carrot
Sliced mushrooms
Leftover meat, diced

Sauté vegetables. Add leftover meat. Stir in seasoning packet.

Soften noodles for 3 minutes in boiling hot water, then drain. Put noodles in a soup dish, then top with vegetables.

Stir-Fry wreaks havoc on my digestion. Like Nietzsche, I have to watch what I eat. I like comparing myself to him. Heh heh.

Ramen Noodle Stir Fry:

Sliced onion
Sliced celery
Sliced carrot
Sliced mushrooms
Leftover meat, diced

Sauté vegetables. Add leftover meat. Stir in seasoning packet.

Soften noodles for 3 minutes in boiling hot water, then drain. Put noodles in a soup dish, then top with vegetables.

w00! I'll try it, thanks. One question though, what's sauteeing exactly?

Like Nietzsche, I have to watch what I eat. I like comparing myself to him. Heh heh.
That reminds me of something I used to do quite often when talking to people.
I would say something along the lines of "Like Dostoevsky, I prefer linen sheets" or "Like Mussolini, I like to take walks when it's cool out in autumn". I'd just pic a random big name and attach some random like or dislike to it.

I'm not actually quite sure why. It was fun though.

This pointless waste of a minute brought to you by ADD and boredom.

w00! I'll try it, thanks. One question though, what's sauteeing exactly?

sauté; sautéed; sautéing
[saw-TAY, soh-TAY]
To cook food quickly in a small amount of oil in a skillet or sauté pan over direct heat. ;)

Now that I think about it...

Pain-in-the-Ass Ramen Stir-Fry
-------------------------------

Two handfulls of sno peas
One cup of water chestnuts
Half can of mushrooms (stems & pieces)
One carrot, chopped
1/4th Onion, chopped
Meat of your choice (best use about a cup)
Ramen flavor of your choice
Soy or Teriyaki sauce

Okay, those are the ingredients. This becomes a "pain in the ass" because you have to cook three seperate things! Alright, first thing's first --- The meat. Cook it until it's done (you don't want partially-raw chicken or pork, and anything below well-done for beef is bad for this). Put it in a plate and let it cool off.

Alright, now comes the Ramen. Just follow the instructions for it... It takes maybe four minutes.

And now for the wok. Put your vegetables and meat in the wok, along with your soy/teriyaki sauce. Cook until crisp. Once that's finished, put it in a bowl with the Ramen noodles, and there you have it. Pain-in-the-Ass Stir-Fry!

You are making my mouth water, folks. The beauty of stir fry is, it works for almost all cultures. Indian food? stir-fry. Chinese? Stir-fry. Vietnamese? stir-fry. Middle-eastern? stir-fry. Southern US? stir-fry. yeah, I do like okra and greens in my stir-fry. No, my very favorite is potatoes, peas, carrots and okra, with, lets see, black mustard seeds, cumin, asoefatida (or garlic) and turmmeric. Oh, yeah, and wheat free tamari.
I don't understand that cheese idea, though. Sounds like a Jeff Foxworthy idea.

You are making my mouth water, folks. The beauty of stir fry is, it works for almost all cultures. Indian food? stir-fry. Chinese? Stir-fry. Vietnamese? stir-fry. Middle-eastern? stir-fry. Southern US? stir-fry. yeah, I do like okra and greens in my stir-fry. No, my very favorite is potatoes, peas, carrots and okra, with, lets see, black mustard seeds, cumin, asoefatida (or garlic) and turmmeric. Oh, yeah, and wheat free tamari.
I don't understand that cheese idea, though. Sounds like a Jeff Foxworthy idea.

Yeah... The cheese...

*head explodes*

Yeah... The cheese...

*head explodes*

well cheese and brocoli are a great combo.

But cheese in STIR-FRY? Yeck!

I made a kick-ass stir-fry a few days ago when it was my night for dinner. Basically, it was this:

red pepper
mushrooms
broccoli
tofu
red onion
kale
garlic
toasted sesame seeds
spicy tai sauce

and some nice brown rice. Yum!!

I made a kick-ass stir-fry a few days ago when it was my night for dinner. Basically, it was this:

red pepper
mushrooms
broccoli
tofu
red onion
kale
garlic
toasted sesame seeds
spicy tai sauce

and some nice brown rice. Yum!!

eh, im not much on tofu.

Ramen Noodle Stir Fry:

Sliced onion
Sliced celery
Sliced carrot
Sliced mushrooms
Leftover meat, diced

Sauté vegetables. Add leftover meat. Stir in seasoning packet.

Soften noodles for 3 minutes in boiling hot water, then drain. Put noodles in a soup dish, then top with vegetables.
Speaking of leftover meat... Well, not really leftover, but precooked, I really want some Chinese roast pork.... Heaven with a little plum sauce and steamed veggies.

I love stir fry, I cook it at least once a week. Prawns are great, or just whatever meat I have. Snow peas, buk choy, capsicum, onion, garlic, chilli & some noodles (hokkien are my fave). Simple, quick, delicious & you only need to use one wok in which to cook.

Of course, the easiest way to make stir-fry is just to get a freezer bag full of mixed veggies and ready-made sauce, and pre-cooked stew meat. But, it tastes kind of crappy in comparison.

Of course, the easiest way to make stir-fry is just to get a freezer bag full of mixed veggies and ready-made sauce, and pre-cooked stew meat. But, it tastes kind of crappy in comparison.

But that takes all the fun out of cooking it. plus like you said, it doesnt taste as good.

But that takes all the fun out of cooking it. plus like you said, it doesnt taste as good.

Exactly.

Of course, the easiest way to make stir-fry is just to get a freezer bag full of mixed veggies and ready-made sauce, and pre-cooked stew meat. But, it tastes kind of crappy in comparison.

Fresh vegies are much better & it isn't hard or time consuming just to quickly chop them up. I like to try different stuff & experiment with the sauces I use.

has anyone used pineapple? it goes good with rice.

eh, im not much on tofu.
Its actually quite good if cooked and seasoned appropriatly...i mean, its tasteless by it self, so it can take on any character. Its really healthy though- lots of protein and all that.

has anyone used pineapple? it goes good with rice.
I have a moral objection to the use of pineapple in savouries... :p ESPECIALLY on pizza.

Its actually quite good if cooked and seasoned appropriatly...i mean, its tasteless by it self, so it can take on any character. Its really healthy though- lots of protein and all that.
tofu is great when you deep fry it before you stir fry it, so it gets a crispy layer on the outside.

Its actually quite good if cooked and seasoned appropriatly...i mean, its tasteless by it self, so it can take on any character. Its really healthy though- lots of protein and all that.

I tried tofu soup at my local chinese restaraunt, but there was no taste at all. I guess ill have to try it with some other seasonings.

tofu is great when you deep fry it before you stir fry it, so it gets a crispy layer on the outside.
MMM, thats the kind of tofu that soaks up all the sauce right? But I can never be fucked deep frying...

I have a moral objection to the use of pineapple in savouries... :p ESPECIALLY on pizza.

aw, you gotta love the pineapple...ive never tried it on pizza though. I think it sounds like a worthy experiment.

tofu is great when you deep fry it before you stir fry it, so it gets a crispy layer on the outside.
I'd love to, (on occasion) but you see, my family are health-food nazis. I would NEVR get away with feeding them something (gasp!) deep-fried.

MMM, thats the kind of tofu that soaks up all the sauce right? But I can never be fucked deep frying...
yeah all the sauces and juices get trapped when you cook it. they sell frozen fried tofu in bags and it actually tastes pretty good in a stir fry, although nothing can beat the freshly fried stuff.

I've got a bone to pick with Tofu. It tricked me into eating fat-free Ballpark Franks... It's watching me as I sleep...

Tofu tastes horrible. It must die...

I generally use pineapple only when I'm making a sweet and sour, not stir fry, though I can see how it would be interesting.

Stir-fry isn't supposed to taste like spicy, charred mixed vegetables. With cheese.Truer words were never spoken. Please stop him from making stir fry, he's clearly missing the point!

Sesame oil is nice for adding some really nice flavor to your stir fry. Fresh ginger is also a good thing to use for seasoning. Add a few slices to your oil before adding any other ingredients. Try curry for another flavor option.

Of course, the easiest way to make stir-fry is just to get a freezer bag full of mixed veggies and ready-made sauce, and pre-cooked stew meat. But, it tastes kind of crappy in comparisonYou can get some pre-made sauces that aren't bad nowadays. NOT the stuff that comes with the pre-assembled kits, but the stuff you'll find in the ethnic foods isle at the grocery store. Frankly, I don't know how to make a plum sauce or black bean sauce from scratch.

-snip-

I'll see what I can do to get back in control of the stir-fry cooking. And yeah, I buy the pre-made sauces from the ethnic foods isle. Soy sauce, Teriyaki sauce, etc. Great stuff.

Sesame oil is nice for adding some really nice flavor to your stir fry. Fresh ginger is also a good thing to use for seasoning. Add a few slices to your oil before adding any other ingredients. Try curry for another flavor option.

Sesame oil is excellent, I use it pretty often. I'll have to try your ginger suggestion.

Sesame oil is excellent, I use it pretty often. I'll have to try your ginger suggestion.
With the ginger thing. You can also do that with garlic and chilli. In fact, any other dry spices. It brings out the flavour. Just make sure the heat isn't up too high or they burn.

That's the basis of a curry actually... Oil, fry onions, add masala.

Stir fry's great. :D

Pineapple and peaches both work, but you do have to balance out the sweet flavors carefully.

For good tofu, try kung pao tofu or mapo dofu.

And Kreitzmoorland, next time you visit the asian supermarket see if you can find a package of deep fried tofu that labels it "agedofu" (Japanese) or the Chinese equivilant (unfortunately no idea) and don't tell the health food nazis it's deep fried. Chances are they can't tell.

With the ginger thing. You can also do that with garlic and chilli. In fact, any other dry spices. It brings out the flavour. Just make sure the heat isn't up too high or they burn.

That's the basis of a curry actually... Oil, fry onions, add masala.

Yeah, I've fried the garlic & chili in oil first, but not ginger.

peaches

hmm, that sounds like a good idea too. Shu, im getting hungry.

This gives me the shits just reading it.

Just thought I'd let you know!

hmm, that sounds like a good idea too. Shu, im getting hungry.

Here ya go: http://pork.allrecipes.com/az/PrkwithPchsStirFry.asp