An ‘Italian’ Stir Fry

an ‘italian’ stir fry
From Stonesoup
serves 2

Even though you don’t need a recipe, they can still be a useful source of ideas. I’ve gone for an Italian vibe here because stir frying isn’t just about using Asian flavours. I could have used Mexican, Lebanese or even Indian flavours.

The ‘italian’ in the name comes from both the use of pesto and garlic as flavourings AND the green, white and red colours of the Italian flag. I haven’t ever seen an italian ‘stir fry’ before… maybe this is a world first?

2-3 chicken thigh fillets
1-2 cloves garlic
1 red capsicum (bell pepper)
2 handfuls snow peas (mange tout)
4 tablespoons pesto

1. Prepare your ingredients. Trim and finely slice the chicken, peel & slice the garlic, chop the capsicum (peppers) into long ribbons, and top the snow peas.

2. Heat your wok or frying pan so it’s super hot.

3. Add a little oil. Stir fry the chicken and garlic until the chicken is just cooked, a few minutes at most. Remove and place in a clean bowl.

4. Add the veg and stir fry for another few minutes.

6. Return the chicken and garlic to the pan. Toss a few times over the heat.

7. Serve with pesto on top.

VARIATIONS
vegetarian / vegan – replace the chicken with tofu, seitan or a can of drained lentils. Use a dairy free pesto such as my sicilian nut pesto.

different veg – I just happened to have capsicum & snow peas in the fridge. But most veg stir fry well. Try zucchini, fennel, greens such as spinach or cavolo nero, green pepper, carrot, broccoli, celery, cabbage.. millions of possibilities.

different protein – I’ve already mentioned tofu & lentils, but you could also use pretty much most meats. Just make sure they’re finely sliced across the grain to keep them as tender as possible.

lebanese – replace the chicken with lamb and replace the pesto with hummus. It may also help to use zucchini instead of the snow peas.

dairy-free – use a dairy-free pesto or just serve with a handful of fresh basil leaves and some toasted pinenuts.

more italian – serve with parmesan cheese for grating over and maybe toss in some cooked pasta at the end.

more traditional stir fry – use a knob of ginger, finely sliced, with the garlic. Skip the pesto and serve with a splash of soy sauce and a little sesame oil drizzled over. Some chilli can also be lovely.

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