Stir-Fried Chicken & Asparagus

Stir-fried boneless chicken with seasonal veggies in a very basic Asian sauce is one my favorite go-to recipes. When I am in a hurry this Asian inspired dish comes to rescue. I usually serve it over stir fried brown rice. This healthy meal is so delicious and visually appealing to please a crowd as well. Double the recipe to serve it next day. It will taste fantastic too. 

I add a variety of veggies, like broccoli, snow peas, red peppers, mushrooms and onions all year round. This is asparagus season; so I use asparagus and red bell peppers only in this recipe. I saute them lightly for its crisp texture. The sauce mixture is very balanced, not too salty or spicy or sweet, just perfect for our taste buds. Make it much more saucier and spicier as per taste by increasing the sauce and chilies. This dish looks so beautiful with minimal effort! This recipe serves up to 5 people.

Ingredients~

(US customary units)

Marinate chicken~

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast tenderloins, cut into small pieces

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp minced garlic

2 tablespoon cornstarch or tapioca starch

1 tbsp soy sauce

Sauce and veggies~

1 lb. asparagus stalks, diagonally 

cut into 3/4-1 inch pieces, discarding the woody parts

1 cup red bell pepper, cut into thick  julienne strips

2 tsp minced garlic

1 tsp minced ginger

2 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce

1 tbsp black vinegar or rice vinegar

1 tbsp dry sherry or Shaoxing wine(optional)

1 tsp sambal

1 teaspoons brown sugar or to taste

1/2 cup low sodium chicken stock

1/4 tsp chili flakes or to taste

1 tsp tapioca or corn starch

2 tablespoon plus 1 tsp oil

Note~

Make more sauce with chicken stock, soy sauce, black vinegar, sambal, sugar and use as per taste preference. 

Method~ 
Marinate the chicken for 15 minutes. Whisk together sauce in a bowl until the mixture is smooth and set aside. Heat the 2 tbsp oil in a medium pan over medium high heat. Saute chicken in two batches for just 2-3 minutes. Do not cook all they way through. Set aside. Heat remaining 1 tsp oil to the pan. Saute the asparagus for 3-4 minutes, then add in bell pepper. Cook further for 2 more minutes. Remove from the heat. Pour sauce mixture in the pan and let it boil for 1 minute; then add in chicken and veggies and continue to cook and stir for 2 to 3 minutes or until chicken is fully cooked. Taste and adjust seasonings. Add more sauce if  needed. Serve  with plain steamed rice or seasoned rice.

Happy Cooking!