Waaaay Better Than Takeout: Sweet and Spicy Coconut Oil Stir Fry

I’ve written about my love for coconut oil before, especially for stir fries. Not only does it smell ridiculously amazing while you’re cooking with it, but it’s one of the only oils that’s truly stable enough to handle high-heat cooking (aka… stir fries, what up!) and its fats are more easily metabolized in the body, so it’s great for your heart! So let’s get cracking on this sooooo-much-better-than-takeout meal, shall we?

Tonight I got home from work and I was not. feelin’. it. I had a long weekend of partying at a music festival (I know, poor me) and the last thing I wanted to do was cook. I was fantasizing about some takeout, or at the very least a trip to the nearest Whole Foods salad bar. But my man Rob surprised me with a plethora of organic vegetables from his trip to the new Austin Trader Joe’s this afternoon, and if you know Trader Joe’s, you know that its produce doesn’t stay well for long. (Love you TJs, but it’s true!) The meal I whipped up for us was even better, and possibly quicker, than ordering from our nearest Chinese place. And it’s definitely healthier. All it took was a little bit of coconut oil, spices, and Chinese sauces (thick, sweet hoisin and oyster sauce, which doesn’t really taste like oysters but just adds a super salty depth of flavor).

Sweet & Spicy Coconut Oil Stir Fry

2 organic chicken breasts, trimmed of fat and chopped into 1″ cubes
2 tbsp coconut oil
2 organic peppers, dealer’s choice as far as color but I used orange and yellow
2c organic snow peas
1c organic green beans, ends snipped
1 can baby corn cobs (like this Ty Ling kind)
1 tbsp powdered ginger
2tbsp Lee Kum Kee hoisin sauce (super sweet, and super good! you don’t need too much of this stuff, though)
3tbsp Lee Kum Kee oyster sauce
red pepper flakes to taste (I like a lot, obviously)

Put 1 tbsp of your coconut oil into your wok over medium high heat. Once it’s melted, toss in your chicken breast and sprinkle with 1/2 tbsp ginger and some red pepper flakes.

Once the chicken has browned on the outside and just cooked through (should take about 5-8 minutes), remove it and set aside. Add the other tbsp of coconut oil and all your vegetables.

Once they start to soften, 3-5 minutes or so, add the other 1/2 tbsp ginger, hoisin and oyster sauces, and as much red pepper flakes as you like.

After the chicken has heated back through and the vegetables are warm and cooked but still firm, transfer into bowls and garnish with a squeeze of Sriracha if you’re craving a little extra spice.

For more  healthy recipes, cocktails, food travel, and restaurant reviews, check out ES Emily’s individual blog, A Time to Kale, or tweet her @emilyteachout.