I was racking my brains the other day about what to have for lunch. A friend from church was coming over, and I was hoping to rustle something up from what I already had in the frig. I looked inside and I had a few carrots, a head of cabbage…and I then it hit me! Isn’t it funny how you forget what you already know? I had forgotten all about a great go-to, an old stand by! How to creatively use leftovers in a stir fry!
Basic technique, not a specific recipe
This technique applies to whatever vegetables and meat you have on hand. I have created a recipe just as an example. Obviously, you would sub in whatever you find left over!
Jump to RecipeThis stir fry is a fun recipe to make with a friend
Because things go fast and furious in a stir fry, it is super helpful to have someone chopping while the other one is stir-frying. That way, you can do one vegetable at a time without needing a cutting board the size of Texas!
This is very much a custom meal in that you choose the veggies and also the kinds and amounts of seasoning. I’ve suggested some of our favorites in the recipe, but you can totally make it your own.
You could even change the focus from Chinese to, say, Italian. Use basil, oregano, more garlic, and lots of fresh tomatoes if you have them. Then serve over hot pasta, tossed with olive oil, salt and pepper. Or sub browned butter to toss with the pasta. Pour the veggies over the pasta on a platter. Finish with shards of Parmesan Reggiano and some fresh basil leaves on the top.
Some things we find really helpful in creating a stir fry from leftovers:
If you do a lot of stir-frying, it is really preferable to get a wok. Here’s one from Walmart
It’s about $20.
This really helps in keeping the veggies crunchy and crisp. It’s kind of like a hot salad over creamy rice.
Hope you enjoy this way of creatively using those leftovers! A stir fry is the answer!
For another budget friendly family meal, click here
Fresh and delicious stir fry from leftovers!
Equipment
- 1 Wok (You can use a big frying pan if you don't have a wok)
- 1 Stove top
- 1 Large stainless spoon
- 1 Set of tongs
- 1 Pot or rice cooker (Rice cooker is a great option. Start it about an hour or more before you do the stir fry, and let it sit on "keep warm" until stir fry is ready.)
Ingredients
- 6-8 cups any kind of raw vegetables, cut in bite sized chunks When possible, chop on the bias
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1 tbsp peeled, minced raw ginger
- 5 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- 2 tbsp olive oil or avocado oil
- Water as needed
- Soy sauce to taste
- Chinese 5 spice powder to taste
- Pepper flakes to taste
- Coconut aminos to taste
- Sesame oil
- other herbs and seasonings you like
- Raw cabbage, thinly sliced This makes up a significant part of the 6-8 cups of raw vegetables. It wilts down a fair amount.
- 2 cups raw rice, cooked
Instructions
- Gather your raw vegetables from the refrigerator or garden. These can be staples like carrots, celery, summer squash, broccoli, tomatoes--whatever is needing to be used. You'll need about 8 cups for 4 servings. You want to have generous portions with this dish. 8 cups is about as much as my wok can hold, so if you have a larger group you can plan on doing batches. Or get two woks going!
- Wash and then cut off any parts that you won't use, like carrot tops, celery ends, stem ends, etc. You can do some advance work if you prep these vegetables but don't chop. You can keep them in a bowl or zip lock bag in the refrigerator. You could chop them in advance but you want to keep them separate because they cook differently, so my preference is to keep them pretty much whole and chop them individually right before throwing them in the wok.
- Choose your protein, if desired. For this example, we grilled pork chops and chopped the cooked meat to add to the stir-fry. I generally find using cooked meat is easier than dealing with raw meat in a stir fry. I just throw it in and warm it up at the very end.
- About 30 minutes before you want to eat, get your prepped veggies and cut them in to bite sized chunks. If you have a Wok, you'll be starting with the longer cooking vegetables first.
- Put the olive or avocado oil in the wok and heat until hot and sizzling.
- Add the longer cooking vegetables (carrots, onions, broccoli) and stir with the large spoon, tossing them so they are cooked on all sides. When they are still crunchy but somewhat cooked, push them up the sides of the wok where they will stay warm and continue to cook slowly. The bottom of the wok should now be bare or mostly bare. You can add a bit more oil as needed.
- While cooking any of the vegetables, watch and be sure they aren't burning. Along with a bit more oil, you can add a little splash of water, soy sauce and/or coconut aminos and keep stirring. You can also add some Chinese 5 spice at this time, and continue throughout the process to taste. The water and soy sauce will make them cook faster and impart flavor. Continue this process throughout the stir frying. Don't overdo the water. You want crunchy, not soggy vegetables.
- Keep pushing the stir fried vegetables up the side of the wok to join the others. Then add the faster cooking vegetables where the others were, in the bottom of the wok. These would be vegetables like celery, squash, mushrooms. Don'f forget to keep those little splashes of soy sauce and coconut aminos for flavor. This is a good time to add the garlic and ginger. Stir and toss, as before.Push the vegetables up the sides of the wok when they still look fresh, but somewhat cooked.
- Add vegetables like fresh tomatoes, already roasted peppers, fresh herbs. Add a splash more oil and/or seasonings if necessary.
- When all the veggies are stir fried but the cabbage, add cooked meat on the top and then layer the cabbage on the top of that. Splash in a little water and soy sauce, cover the wok, and steam the cabbage for a few minutes. Be careful not to overcook. Can't say it enough--you want the veggies to be crunchy.
- After the cabbage is just wilted, take the cover off and toss all together. Finish with sesame oil to taste, and serve over cooked rice.
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