Bite Of Minnesota: Stir-Fry With Sprouts & Peppers
Those sprouted mung beans from last week were a thing of beauty. It's something I need to make more often because I already miss having them in my fridge as a snack. Now that I've executed a successful batch, it's time to do it again.
Did I mention that I mucked them up the go around? Last time I started the sprouting process, stuck them in a cool and dark place and promptly forgot about them so I ended up with a jar of dried out beans that had started to sprout but were hardly edible. Don't do that. I now realize that the key is to set reminders on my phone (and on the jar) to rinse and drain twice a day.
Although I ate quite a few sprouts raw as a snack, I also used the sprouts in a couple of meals. For one meal, I sauteed deli turkey and sprouts and served it on top of spinach for a quickie salad (mayo and mustard served as "dressing"). In another meal, they were thrown into a stir-fry for some added nutrients. Both meals benefited from the crunchy and fresh sprouts and I'm determined to incorporate them into more recipes this summer. Until then, I leave you with this simple stir-fry:
Stir-Fry with Sprouts and Peppers
(serves 4)
1 lb. chicken breast, cubed (I used tofu)
¼ cup cornstarch
2 tbsp olive oil, divided
1 bell pepper, seeded and sliced
4 scallions, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup mung bean sprouts (see recipe here)
2 tbsp soy sauce
Cooked rice
Prepared orange sauce or use this recipe if desired, for serving
In a large bowl, toss chicken (or tofu) pieces with cornstarch, discard excess cornstarch. Preheat a large wok over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon olive oil and chicken, tossing gently until cooked through. Remove from wok, set aside and wipe out pan with paper towels.
In the hot wok, add remaining olive oil and pepper slices, tossing for 3 minute or until slightly tender. Add scallions, cook 1-2 minutes and add mung bean sprouts. Cook for an additional minute or two and add cooked chicken to warm through. Season with soy sauce and serve over cooked rice.
This dish is great as-is, but if you want some additional flavor, drizzle with a prepared sauce like orange sauce, sweet & sour, or thai chili sauce. I made this one and it was great!