Barbecue Stir Fry

This is a great way to get a whole lot of vegetables in one serving. We often made this in college, one of my roommates was from India and perfected this combination. In that time, we'd mix up the different flavors to go with our vegetables, but my husband most prefers barbecue flavor, which works for me because it is so simple!

Stir fry may seem like a lot of work, but it really doesn't have to be that way. You can use frozen vegetables and instant rice to cut down your cooking time a lot. I usually use a combination of frozen and fresh vegetables. I've listed first the vegetables I always use and then some I have used before. I don't really remember how much of those last few vegetables to use since it's not as often I have them on hand.

Barbecue Stir fry

1 T olive oil
Assorted vegetables or package of frozen vegetable medley, thawed:
   carrots, usually about three (I also use my peeler to shave off small, thin pieces)
   green bell pepper, about one full cut into strips
   red bell pepper, one small or less, cut into strips; you can also omit
   potatoes, 1-2 cut into chunks
   onion, 1/2 to 1 medium sized onion, in strips
   broccoli, to your taste
   sugar snap peas, to your taste
   zucchini, to your taste
1/2 to 1 t spicy pepper blend (or use a blend of black pepper, cayenne pepper and chili powder)
pineapple chunks - if desired
barbecue sauce, about 1 to 2 T (you won't measure this out, but will put on top)
1 package of instant rice (I often use the Knorr Rice sides and it gives additional flavor)


Chop your vegetables into strips or in the case of the potato, bite-sized pieces. Cut your potatoes first since they will take the longest to cook and you can get them started while you finish your prep work.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet or wok type pan.

While the olive oil is heating, start preparing your rice according to package instructions. The rice always seems to take a little longer than the vegetables.

Add your vegetables to the oiled skillet and stir-fry until crisp tender. Sprinkle with seasonings and mix well. If you are using frozen, be sure to watch the water content of your skillet so the vegetables do not become soggy. To avoid this, drain the vegetables thoroughly and use a slightly higher heat, stirring so not to burn or stick.

Once the vegetables are crisp tender, add your pineapple if you have chosen to do so and stir to heat through.

For lack of a better way to describe it, squeeze the barbecue sauce in a drizzle over the top of the vegetables. Stir until all vegetables are coated. Start with a small amount and add more if you think the mixture needs it, but note the flavor is usually stronger than it appears.

You can serve this one of two ways:
1. add the rice to the vegetable mixture and mix well. or
2. serve with rice on the side, spooning vegetables on top

This recipe is especially great too if your family isn't the biggest fan of Asian cuisine since this is definitely an "Americanized" version of stir-fry. Enjoy!