Veal stir-fry only takes a few minutes to cook

Stir-fried veal and green beans is a Chinese dinner that can be made faster than sending out for Chinese food. It takes several minutes to gather the ingredients for stir-fried dishes, but only a few minutes to cook. A stir-fry tip is to line up all of the ingredients on a plate or cutting board in order of use. Then you won't have to keep referring to the recipe while cooking.

Short cut tip: Omit the rice recipe below and serve the stir-fried veal over plain rice.

Helpful Hints

' If you prefer not to use sherry, unsalted chicken broth can be used.

' Boneless, skinless chicken breast can be substituted for the veal.

' 2 crushed garlic cloves can be used instead of bought minced garlic.

' Your wok or skillet should be very hot so the veal will be crisp.

Countdown

' Marinate veal.

' Prepare other ingredients.

' Microwave rice.

' Stir-fry veal dish.

' Stir-fry rice.

QUICK-FRIED DICED VEAL

Yield: 2 servings

1/4 cup sherry

3 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce

4 teaspoons minced garlic

3/4 pound veal cutlet

1/2 tablespoon cornstarch

1 1/2 teaspoons sesame oil, divided use

1/2 pound green beans, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces (2 cups)

2 cups peeled cucumber cubes

In a small bowl, mix sherry, soy sauce and garlic together. Cut veal into 1-inch pieces and add to marinade. Set aside while preparing remaining ingredients.

Remove veal from marinade, reserving marinade. Toss veal in cornstarch and set aside. Heat 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil in a wok or skillet over high heat. Add green beans and stir-fry 2 minutes or until beans are tender. Remove beans to a plate. Add remaining 1 teaspoon oil to the wok and then the veal. Stir-fry 1 minute and return the green beans to the wok. Add the marinade, and cucumber. Stir-fry 2 minutes. Remove to a plate. Use the same wok for the rice dish.

Per serving: 336 calories (19% from fat), 6.9 g fat (1.5 g saturated, 2.3 g monounsaturated), 132 mg cholesterol, 41.5 g protein, 20 g carbohydrates, 4.1 g fiber, 890 mg sodium.

Source: Linda Gassenheimer

SIMPLE FRIED RICE

Yield: 2 servings

1 package microwaveable brown rice to make 1 1/2 cups cooked rice

1/2 tablespoon sesame oil

1/2 cup frozen peas (defrosted)

1/2 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce

Freshly ground black pepper

Cook rice according to package instructions. Measure 1 1/2 cups rice and reserve remaining rice for another meal. Add the sesame oil to the wok over high heat. Add the rice and peas. Stir-fry 1 minute. Add the soy sauce and stir-fry 30 seconds. Add pepper to taste. Divide between 2 dinner plates and serve veal and sauce on top.

Per serving: 233 calories (19 percent from fat), 5 g fat (0.9 g saturated, 1.9 g monounsaturated), no cholesterol, 5.5 g protein, 41.5 g carbohydrates, 3.6 g fiber, 135 mg sodium.

Source: Linda Gassenheimer