Eating a Rainbow: Easy Chicken Stir Fry

A couple months ago I read an article in a health magazine that said you should try to incorporate as many colors as possible into your daily meals.  No, Doritos do not count.  I'm talking about produce, people.  Basically the article was encouraging people to incorporate a larger variety of veggies in their diet, because they all offer so many different nutritional goodies.

I've been trying to make our meals as healthy as possible (when I actually have time to cook), and really took this advice to heart.  As much as Ryan eats frozen and canned crap (seriously, the man actually likes Chef Boyardee for chrissakes), he is really good about eating vegetables.  So when I get the chance to stuff him full of them, I do.  Plus, rainbow food is just pretty.

I make stir fry at least once a month, it's one of Ryan's favorites, and cooks up in under 20 minutes.  Healthy, fast, and tasty?  Sold.

Now, don't cop out and go buy a bag of frozen stir fry vegetables that are already coated in "asian seasoning."  Just don't do it!  Go to the produce section of your grocery store, and start grabbing colors!  This is also a really great way to use up any spare produce you have hanging out in your fridge that you aren't quite sure what to do with.  Seriously, I've gotten rid of extra eggplant this way.  It's also a prime opportunity to try out some of those weird and fancy-sounding items hanging out over by the avocados in the grocery store.

If you've never stir-fried before, it's pretty idiot proof.  Just chop up your veggies (add a protein if you want, I cut up some chicken breast), and sauté with a few tablespoons of an oil of your choice on high heat.  If you have a wok, great, if not, a large sauté pan will do.  As for oil, I had vegetable on hand, but sesame or peanut would work equally well.  I'm thinking next time I'll try using coconut oil and throwing some lemongrass and peanuts into the mix for a different flair.  About halfway through cooking, I like to add in my soy sauce.  I don't know if this is the correct procedure, but it works well for me.

Ryan and I are also big fans of a condiment called chili garlic paste.  I always add a tablespoon or two in the last few minutes of cooking.  Add at your own discretion, this stuff is spicy!  I also boil up some whole grain brown rice to serve the stir fry over.

So there you have it.  Stupid easy, stupid good, and stupid healthy.  Now, go eat yourself a rainbow.