Chicken, Asparagus and Mushroom Stir-Fry
How was your weekend? Did you do anything fun? I wouldn't exactly call ours a fun weekend, but it was productive. We had our tag sale on Saturday, sold a lot of stuff, gave away a lot of stuff and are happy that our house is much cleaned out. But, whew, is it tiring! So many trips up and down those basement stairs!! If you're a little worn out from your weekend, how about trying this easy-to-make chicken, asparagus and mushroom stir-fry--it's so delicious and perfect for those hot summer nights when you don't want to turn on the oven!
I love stir-fries--they cook up so quickly and are a great way to get your kids to eat more veggies too! Most of the ones are Asian-based, but this one seems strangely to fall more into the French camp, with the mushrooms and wine/cream based sauce. It's a nice change of pace and in the time it takes to cook up some rice, you can basically have the whole thing done.
First thing you do is to saute some asparagus and then steam them until they're just tender.
Then in the same pan (read, less cleanup) you saute the mushrooms--any kind you like. I used a mixture of shiitake, baby bellas and regular old button mushrooms. If you like, you can even buy then pre-sliced, for more time-saving!
Once that's done, you saute some shallot and garlic, adding the chicken in the process and then the wine and cream, letting it reduce a bit so that the sauce thickens up. We all loved this dish but if you like a stir-fry with more sauce, you might consider doubling the amount of wine and cream. I might try that the next time I make it. And I will definitely be making this again! Happy Stir-frying!
Chicken, Asparagus and Mushroom Stir-Fry
Makes 4 servings
Prep Time: 20-25 minutes
Ingredients
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 large bunch asparagus, trimmed and cut into bite-sized pieces
Kosher salt
3 tablespoons water
1 pound assorted mushrooms (I used a mixture of shiitake, button and baby bellas)
1 medium shallot, minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
About 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces ( I used a package of chicken that was closer to 1 1/4 pounds)
Pinch of cayenne pepper
1/3 cup dry white wine
1/3 cup light cream
Black pepper to season
The Recipe
1. In a large heavy skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium-high heat. Add asparagus, season with a little salt and toss so that the asparagus gets evenly coated with oil. Add 3 tablespoons water, cover the pot and let cook 4-5 minutes until water evaporates and asparagus is tender. Transfer asparagus to bowl and set aside.
2. In the same pan, heat another tablespoon of oil and add mushrooms. Season with a bit of salt and saute for 8-10 minutes, until tender. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
3. In the same pan again, add the final tablespoon of oil. Add shallot and garlic and cook stirring for about 2 minutes. Add chicken. Season with a bit of salt and a pinch of the cayenne pepper. Cook chicken, stirring frequently, until almost cooked through, about 6-7 minutes. Pour in wine and cream and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring often, for about 2 more minutes, until sauce is slightly thickened. Add asparagus and mushrooms back in and stir until coated and veggies are hot. Season with a bit of black pepper and serve immediately. Tastes great over white or brown rice.
Enjoy!
Note: Recipe adapted from http://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/chicken-asparagus-and-wild-mushroom-stir-fry. I played around with some of the proportions and used light cream instead.
