I whipped up this easy veggie stir fry in partnership with McCormick Skillet Sauces. All opinions are my own.
Now that Christmas is rapidly approaching the next few months are about to reach a new level of insanity. I don’t know why, but it seems like for the past few years every single holiday season gets bigger and bigger (I’m pretty sure Pinterest is to blame for the rise of megaholiday madness) and with that comes less and less downtime. I mean, who has time to be lazy when they’re stuck creating goodies and gifts that look like they fell out of a Better Homes and Gardens magazine? So, with all there is to do it is nice to shave off time here and there with quick fixes and super simple (but still delicious) meal solutions. I don’t know about you, but I would much rather spend less than 30 minutes preparing a fabulous family feast than slaving over a complex gourmet recipe while the the rest of the house props their feet up and loses themselves in FROZEN for the ten millionth time. So what’s a mama to do? Check out McCormick’s new ridiculously simple skillet sauces and whip up this delicious stir fry of course!
These sauces are made to takes the mixing, measuring and guesswork out of creating a gourmet family meal. Not only are they big on flavor, but they are versatile enough that they go with almost anything AND they take minutes to prepare. Minutes! I was in the mood for stir fry the other day so I grabbed a package of McCormick’s Stir Fry Skillet Sauce at Walmart and headed home to make dinner for the family. Now, if you have made stir fry before then you know the sauce is super important and a bit like a fabulous pair of jeans. A little elusive but once you find the right fit you are loyal for life. Guess what? I’ve found my sauce! It goes perfect with all kinds of veggies, and when served over rice is just delicious! The package says “chicken” stir fry, but it does not have any kind of meat product in the actual sauce so it is great for vegetarians!
Classica Veggie Stir Fry
This recipe will take you around 20 minutes to make (if you use instant rice) and you can feel free to add any vegetables that you want. I love peppers and broccoli so that is what I use for pretty much everything but you could add others as well as a protein like tofu, seitan, tvp or even a meat for all the carnivores out there. Here is what you need:
- McCormick Stir Fry Skillet Sauce
- 1/2 green bell pepper
- 1/2 red bell pepper or two sweet red chili peppers
- 1/2 yellow bell pepper or two small yellow chili peppers
- 1/2 cup shredded carrots
- 1 head of broccoli
- 1 teaspoon vegetable or peanut oil
- 4 cups cooked rice
- large nonstick skillet
This recipe takes around 20 minutes from start to finish, and before you begin you want to make sure you have everything ready to go because it is fairly quick once you start taking steps. I like to use ten minute rice with my stir fry meals because it takes a lot less time than other rice and if I start it at the same time I start my vegetables it will be finished at roughly the same time. So, before you begin know that you should be preparing your rice in the background as you go according to the package instructions.
The first thing you want to do is cut and rinse all of your vegetables. I like mine fairly large so I cut my peppers in strips and then the broccoli in little heads, but it will still taste the same no matter how you cut it. Next, heat your skillet to medium-high with a small amount of vegetable oil and cook your carrots for around 5 minutes as they take a little longer to soften up then add the rest of your veggies.
After three minutes stir in your McCormick skillet sauce and simmer for a minute. How much you pour in depends on how much sauce you like in your stir fry, but I like my plate heavily covered so I pour in the whole thing. Once that is heated thoroughly your rice should be just about finished, so grab a bowl and serve! I love all the great flavors going on here – this sauce has the perfect combination of sesame flavors and zest for a really great base that goes well with a lot of different veggies. If you want it spicy you can always add in jalapeños when you are cooking your vegetables or throw in some black pepper to turn up the heat.
I don’t know about you, but that is one big bowl of delicious! Each veggie is perfectly cover in zesty sauce and bursting with flavor. My husband loved it (the kids ate a version without the big veggies) and there were NO leftovers! This recipe is definitely going in the vault, and it should be in yours too! Oh, and don’t forget the chopsticks!
And just because this meal is absolutely gorgeous, here’s one more shot of these beautiful vegetables.
