Food Literacy Students
Beginner Friendly Stir Fry
This meal can be enjoyed as both as a quick lunch or dinner, only taking 5 minutes overall to prepare and about 10 minutes to cook. Stir fry is a simple Chinese sautéing method that has been used for years. Stir fry is a very beginner friendly meal and great to feed a whole family (serving 10) or can be reduced simply to feed just an individual. We recommend in late summer and early fall because more fresh vegetables are harvested, but can easily be enjoyed year-round.
Cost Breakdown
This McCormick vegetable stir fry recipe by Chef Janice is very budget friendly because each of these vegetables are fairly inexpensive. The spices can be purchased as generic brands which makes them a little cheaper. Here is a cost breakdown:
| Ingredient | Amount | Cost of Ingredients | Cost of Ingredients in Recipe |
| Vegetable Oil | 1/2 oz | $3.24/16 oz bottle | $0.10 |
| Yellow Onion | 1 each | $0.55/ each | $0.55 |
| Sliced Carrots | 8 oz | $0.06/ 1 oz | $0.48 |
| Broccoli Florets | 16 oz (1 lb) | $2.48/ 32 oz bag | $1.24 |
| Sugar Snap Peas | 16 oz (1 lb) | $2.78/8 oz bag | $5.56 |
| Green Bell Pepper | 1 each | $0.77/ each | $0.77 |
| Soy Sauce | 1/2 oz | $1.58/ 15 oz bottle | $0.05 |
| Garlic Powder | 1/4 oz | $1.00/ 3.4 oz bottle | $0.07 |
| Ground Ginger | 1/4 oz | $3.97/ 1.6 oz bottle | $0.60 |
| Sesame Seeds | 1/4 oz | $1.94/ 2.2 oz bottle | $0.22 |
| Total Recipe Cost | $9.64 | ||
| Cost per serving (10 servings) | $1 (rounding up) |
Tips to make this cheaper:
- Generic brands may be more budget-friendly than purchasing name brands for the sauce, oil, and seasoning.
- It may cost less to buy two (8 oz) bags of sugar snap peas rather than purchasing the 16 oz bag.
- Purchase a small bottle of vegetable oil rather than a large.
Vegetable Stir Fry
Description
This stir fry has a great combination of flavors and textures. When the vegetables are cooked to al dente and the colors of the vegetables varied, this made for a visually pleasing meal. The process of making this meal and following each of the steps was very easy.
Ingredients
Instructions
- 1. Begin by cutting all the vegetables into similar sizes. Cut the onion into thin slices. Cut the carrots diagonally. Chop the broccoli into florets. Cut the bell peppers into strips.
- 2. Heat the pan to a medium heat and heat the oil until it begins to look shiny.
- 3. While oil heats, mix soy sauce, garlic powder, ginger, and sesame seeds together.
- 4. Add the carrots and onion to the pan.
- 5. Once the carrots begin to soften (about 2 minutes), add the rest of the vegetables
- 6. Stir the vegetables continuously.
- 7. Once all the vegetables soften to an al dente texture (about 7-9 minutes), add the soy sauce mixture.
- 8. Enjoy! Serve over rice if desired.
Video
Notes
- Knife cuts that work well in this recipe are julienne (1/8in x 1/8 in x 2 in) or batonnet (2 in x ¼ in x 1/4 in).
References: https://www.mccormick.com/recipes/salads-sides/stir-fry-vegetables?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIhoqtwNno-wIVKAGtBh199QU1EAAYASAAEgLcEfD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
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