Menu for Stir-Fry Chicken

The stir-fry is the main dish on this Chinese-inspired menu. Vegetables often found in a chicken stir-fry include broccoli, onions, mushrooms, peppers, water chestnuts, snow peas and baby corn. Bottled stir-fry sauces simplify the preparation process for the main dish. Make your own sauce by combining soy sauce, ginger powder and chopped garlic with cracked peppercorn ranch dressing. Serve the stir-fry over steamed rice for the healthiest meal. Other options include noodles and fried rice.

Stir-fry is a hearty meal option when bulked up with vegetables, but the side dishes round out the meal. Egg rolls and crab rangoon are often served at Chinese restaurants. Egg rolls include vegetables like shredded cabbage and carrots and may also include shrimp, pork or chicken. A crab rangoon features a cream cheese filling with chunks of crab mixed in. For a lighter side dish, serve a side salad with fresh, chopped vegetables and creamy salad dressing.

Preparing chicken stir-fry takes time to prepare and cook the meat and vegetables. Instead of using raw chicken and cooking it yourself, use the meat from a cooked rotisserie chicken from the deli. Another option is to buy cooked chicken chunks that are usually available in the refrigerator or freezer section. To simplify the vegetables, buy a bag of frozen, chopped vegetables made for stir-fry. Many produce sections offer fresh vegetables that are already sliced or chopped. To save time on the side dishes, purchase the egg rolls or rangoons from a Chinese restaurant. You can often find them in the freezer section as well. Make a dipping sauce for egg rolls from spicy ranch dressing mixed with soy sauce.

Get the whole family involved in making the stir-fry by deciding which vegetables to include. If your kids like different stir-fry sauces, divide the meat and vegetables into individual servings before adding the sauce. Serve the stir-fry and side dishes family-style at the table so the kids can serve themselves. Additional stir-fry sauce or soy sauce on the table allows everyone to flavor their stir-fry to personal taste.