Coconut Stir Fry

Every week I schedule our dinners out in advance, shop accordingly and look forward to certain meals. I was excited to eat stir fry this week, but at 5pm last night I realized I didn't have my staples. No soy sauce, no sesame oil and no curry of any kind. What kind of stir fry could I make without these key flavors?

I searched around my pantry which has been pretty bare since we moved (I gave everything in our previous pantry to my sister). I found a can of coconut milk, some rice wine, rice vinegar and pepper jelly.

What came out was really delightful. Here it is:
(The ingredients that I used last night are in bold)

Protein, one of the following
-12+ shrimp
-2 sliced chicken breasts
-drained and cubed tofu

Chopped fine
-Garlic, 2 cloves
-Ginger, 2 Tb fresh

Chopped veggies, any of these work well
-Carrots
-Bell peppers, red
-Asparagus
-Onions
-Broccoli
-Cauliflower
-Cabbage
-Bok Choy

Garnishes
-Green onions, chopped
-Lemon Zest (lime would also work)

Sauce, whisk together
-1 cup coconut milk
-1/4 cup white wine or rice wine
-1-2 teaspoons rice vinegar
-2 tablespoons of pepper jelly
-Fresh ground pepper
-2 tablespoons Cornstarch

Heat a few tablespoons of peanut or canola oil in a wok until very hot. Add ginger and garlic. Before the garlic begins to brown, add protein and toss a few times until just cooked. Remove protein from pan and set aside.

Add veggies and toss a few times to ensure they are thoroughly coated with oil. Let cook for about 2 minutes. Season with a little salt and pepper. Add sauce and stir. When sauce is bubbling put the protein back in and add garnishes, cook for 30 more seconds. Remove from the heat and serve over rice while hot.

I've never really had pepper jelly before in foods. You usually find it over cream cheese served with crackers at a party. But I knew I needed something with a little bit more intrigue. It worked!

This would be awesome with some basil or red curry paste.


Here are pictures of Molly's dinner plate. This little girl doesn't know how good she has it! This is my attempt to get her to each the meal.

And this is with the peanut butter sandwich and banana wheels I had waiting for her in the kitchen. One day she'll eat all the delicious foods I make for her.

Flour Tortillas

After making the Chili posted the other day we had a lot of leftovers. I decided to turn it into a burrito filling with fresh made tortillas. They took a little bit of time, but it was easy and worth it!

Flour Tortillas:

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup shortening
1 cup warm water

Whisk dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add shortening and work in with your hands or a pastry cutter. Add a little water at a time until you can form a soft dough that is not too sticky. Kneed for a few solid turns until everything is incorporated and smooth.

Cut dough into 12 or more little balls and set on a pan to rest for 10-15 minutes.

Roll each ball of dough into desired shape of tortilla, making sure they are very thin.

Cook on a hot pan long enough to lightly brown but not burn, flipping once. If the pan is too hot they will burn before they cook through.

As they come off the pan place them in a clean kitchen towel to keep them from drying out.

I made them on a griddle so I could cook 3 at a time. This worked but I think a pan would have been a little hotter. They got a little dry, but they were still AWESOME!