Anthony’s Thirty-minute Stir-fry for Two

Private chef and caterer Anthony Cacase builds a week’s meals on homemade stock, and prides himself on economical shopping and cooking habits. Read Anthony’s story here.

Chicken stir-fry. Photo: Imtyiaz Shariff.

2 servings

7 small bell peppers sliced into thin strips

half an onion, thinly sliced
3 cloves preserved garlic
4 bunches bok choy, leaves thinly sliced and separated from the stems
1-inch cube guava paste
2 Tbsp apple cider or other vinegar
2 Tbsp sesame or olive oil
salt
4 dried apricots, diced
1 1/2 cup chicken stock
1 pound cooked chicken, shredded or thinly sliced.
soy sauce
sesame seeds

Heat a pan, ideally a wok, but a stainless-steel pan will do. Add sesame oil and saute the onions.

After 5 minutes add the garlic, peppers and bok choy stems.

After they soften (about 5-7 mins) deglaze the pan with the apple cider vinegar and allow all the liquid to be cooked off. Add the guava paste, chicken stock, apricots, and a splash of soy sauce.

Bring this to a gentle simmer and add the soft green parts of the bok choy and the chicken. Allow this to cook or heat through for another 5 minutes.

Garnish with sesame seeds, either alone or over rice or glass noodles.

Always lightly salt during each step.
[These are not cookbook recipes. Some home cooks work from written recipes, but many know their favorite dishes by heart, or improvise on the spot, or define a home-cooked meal as take-out put on a plate. We offer these as a closer look at what our 12 New Yorkers had for dinner, whether it was a set of traditional recipes, or take-out, or even a sandwich consumed first thing in the morning.]

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