I am a big fan of leftovers, especially when it has anything to do with a stir fried dish. Most of the time I don’t even bother to heat it up, just throw it in a bowl with a big squeeze of Sirracha and lunch is served. After cooking for my boyfriend and myself or even just cooking for me, it seems that there is always enough left over to feed 4 other people.

I start by cutting up a few carrots and think “yes, a carrot each that would be good” then grab some celery and think “celery doesn’t fill you up too much one or two each would be good and a nice crunch” and then this continues with whatever miss match of vegetables were left over at the end of the week. Once the rice and protein go in I find myself starring into a wok with enough portions to feed a small army … Again. You think there would be a little alarm that goes off in my head that says “STOP! You will never eat all of that it is WAY TOO MUCH!” but nope, nothing.

One time I thought I was being clever and went to the store and bought a smaller Wok. For sure this would stop me from making too much … how could it not, what could possibly go wrong?

Well let me tell you, even the smallest wok can make enough portions for 4 people, or I can cram stuff in it and make it feed 4 people. Either way, after more than a few attempts at this, a sense of defeat swept over me and I finally accepted that no matter how much (or little) effort was put into trying to make a suitable portion for one, it wasn’t going to happen.

See this is what doesn’t make sense. If I make dinner for two with some chicken breasts, a side of veggies and a salad, no problem. Now, if I were to take all of those ingredients and throw it into a wok it is like “POOF,” portion for three. It is like the age old mystery of the dryer and the socks … we will never know.

Anyhoo, now that I have come to terms with this, the big bowl of leftovers no longer feels like a defeat, but more of a victory. It is a rewards saying “You, Liz, are not required to make lunch tomorrow.”

What makes a stir fry so great in my opinion is the sauce. When you order takeout at your favourite asian restaurant (or from whatever flyer you have floating around in your drawer) it is almost as if you are ordering dishes based on the sauce and not so much the ingredients.

“How about sweet and sour pork?”

“Yum, I love sweet and sour sauce.”

“How about some beef with black bean sauce?”

“Black bean sauce is my favourite. And don’t forget some rice for the extra sauce.”

And lets think about the oh-so-popular beef and broccoli. If you served someone (even yourself) a side of steamed broccoli and thin pieces of sliced beef would you be overly excited? Probably not. But throw a delicious sauce and toss it around in a wok and you have an instant hit. Seriously, who doesn’t love beef and broccoli? I would eat a bowl right now if there was some in front of me.

So instead of ordering something form take out, keep a jar of a homemade stir fry sauce in your fridge (or two) and you can have a delicious and healthy meal in under 20 minutes. I also find them to be a great “I-have-no-idea-what-to-make” meal.

This may sound a little strange but after going grocery shopping for a few hours, coming home, unpacking everything, cleaning the vegetables, I don’t feel like cooking. And of course this comes at a time when i have about 101 possibilities of things to cook but nope, some veggies and rice it is.

What I love about this stir fry is how bright and refreshing it tastes. You get that warm comforting bite from the warm cooked veggies and rice with a a pop of fresh veggies and cilantro on top. And don’t forget a little Sirracha for some heat. Serving this in a lettuce wrap is optional as it tastes great on its own but not only does it look great, the crispy lettuce leafs add a really nice bite. And things just taste better when they are cute bite size form.