Watercress Chicken Stir Fry Food

STIR-FRIED WATERCRESS: A HEALTHY LEAFY GREEN VEGETABLE

Steps:

• Place your wok over medium high heat, and add the oil, spreading it around to coat the surface of the wok.
• Add the ginger, letting it caramelize and infuse the oil. Take care not to let it burn. Add the minced garlic, and give it a stir. Immediately add the watercress (if you wait too long, your garlic could burn). Turn the heat up to high.
• Stir-fry the watercress for 20 seconds to evenly distribute the ginger, garlic and oil. Once mixed, move all of the watercress to the center of the wok in a small pile, and cover the wok.
• After 45 seconds, uncover the wok. There should be plenty of steam at this point. Use a circular stirring motion to drag the pile of watercress and some of the liquid around the sides of the superheated wok. Stirring the watercress against the hottest and driest part of the wok will generate that wok hay flavor. Gather the watercress back in the middle of the wok. To give you an idea of the cooking time, this step should take no more than 20 seconds.
• While you wait for the sides of the wok to reheat, add the white pepper, sugar, salt, sesame oil and MSG, if using. (A quick note on the spices: we list MSG as optional because many people shy away from it, but it's a tasty addition to leafy green vegetables that really gives you that restaurant flavor. Use it per your own tastes and perspectives!)
• Stir-fry the mixture again to mix in the seasonings, once more stirring the watercress and the liquid so it hits the sides of the wok to generate more wok hay.
• Use your wok spatula to scoop the watercress onto a shallow rimmed bowl, making sure to get the remaining liquid, as it's super-infused with garlic, ginger, and those vitamins from the watercress. Serve as a side dish or just with some white rice as a super light vegan meal.

STIR-FRIED CHICKEN WITH WATERCRESS

Steps:

• Toss chicken with 1 tablespoon cornstarch. In a small bowl, whisk together broth, vinegar, sugar, garlic chili sauce, soy sauce, and remaining cornstarch; set aside.
• In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Saute chicken until golden brown and cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes; remove chicken and set aside. Add leek, jicama, bell pepper, ginger, and garlic; cook, stirring frequently until jicama is crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Return chicken to pan along with watercress; cook until watercress has wilted, about 2 minutes.
• Whisk soy sauce mixture, then add to pan. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring constantly until the sauce has thickened, about 1 minute. Serve immediately.

CHICKEN STIR-FRY

Steps:

• Place the chicken breast in the freezer until firm enough to thinly slice, about 20 minutes. Using a sharp or serrated knife, thinly slice the chicken 1/8 inch thick. Transfer to a medium bowl and drizzle in 1 tablespoon of the soy sauce. Let sit for 10 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil and 1 tablespoon of the cornstarch and mix well. Set aside in a cool place for 20 minutes.
• Whisk the remaining 2 teaspoons cornstarch with 2 teaspoons water in a small bowl; set aside.
• Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a wok or large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil starts to shimmer, add the chicken slices in an even layer and cook, undisturbed, until they just turn opaque, about 45 seconds. Flip and cook, undisturbed, until almost entirely opaque, 45 seconds to 1 minute. Remove to a bowl.
• Add the ginger and garlic to the wok. Cook, stirring often, until the garlic is slightly golden brown, about 30 seconds. Add the broccoli and toss to coat; cook, stirring occasionally, for 1 minute. Add the mushrooms and carrot; toss to combine. Add the Shaoxing wine and cook, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Add the chicken stock, white pepper if using, chicken and the remaining 1 tablespoon soy sauce.
• Mix the cornstarch mixture in the bowl until well combined then add to the wok. Stir until everything is nicely coated, reduce the heat to medium low and cover with a lid. Cook until the sauce has thickened slightly and the chicken is cooked through, about 2 minutes. Drizzle with the sesame oil. Toss until everything is well combined and transfer to a serving platter. Enjoy warm with steamed rice on the side.

GINGER CHICKEN WITH WATERCRESS

Steps:

• Put all but 2 tablespoons of the scallions in a blender; add the ginger, jalapeno, brown sugar, fish sauce, soy sauce, vinegar, tomato and 1/4 teaspoon salt and blend until smooth. Transfer to a 6-quart slow cooker.
• Add the chicken and mushrooms to the slow cooker and stir to coat. Cover and cook on low, 4 hours.
• Roughly chop the watercress and stir into the slow cooker. Serve the chicken and vegetables with rice; top with the reserved scallions.

WILTED WATERCRESS WITH GARLIC

Steps:

• Heat a dry 12-inch heavy skillet or wok (not nonstick) over medium heat until hot. Add oil, then garlic, and cook, tossing constantly, until garlic is deep golden. Add watercress and salt, then reduce heat to medium-low and cook, tossing constantly, 45 seconds. Add stock and toss again, then cook, covered, until stems are crisp-tender and leaves are just wilted, about 20 seconds.
• Serve with garlic cloves arranged on top.

WATERCRESS CHICKEN

Steps:

• Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat for about 2 minutes. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper to taste; add to skillet and cook 5 minutes, turning once, until lightly browned. Drain off any fat; add broth, soy sauce, lime juice and ginger. Reduce heat and simmer chicken mixture for 20 minutes, until cooked through and the chicken is no longer pink in the center. With a slotted spoon, transfer chicken to a plate; cover and keep warm.
• Cut each bunch of watercress in half; add to skillet along with the green onions and cilantro; cover and cook 2-3 minutes, until onions are tender-crisp.
• Divide the greens and broth mixture between 4 serving plates. Place 2 chicken thighs over top of greens, and serve with rice, if desired.