Stir-Fry for the Suffering Soul

To all those whose hearts and souls are hurting, I just want to say ‘I’m so sorry.‘ No matter the source of your pain, sometimes an incomparable despair/anger/sadness wells up and you find you can’t breathe.

Sometimes, I’ve found, when it’s too much, you need someone to just simply say “I’m so sorry.” Allow me to be that person. I’m so sorry, and I wish this wasn’t breaking your heart.

Stir-Fry for the Soul

Next time you have a spare moment, and feel open for an activity, try making a stir fry. Seriously. Cooking is an incredibly sensory process — texture, grinding, cutting, tossing, aromas. It can be as gourmet or simple as you want it to be, but the preparation of every dish is a down-to-earth and creative process.

If just one of you thinks of this article and gives it a try- when things are bad or worse- my soul will be there sizzling with yours.

Benefits to Said Stir-Frys:

1. Veggies in a rainbow of colours
2. Slicing, gutting & crushing the souls of vegetables
3. Steam
4. Sound of veggies hitting the hot pan
5. Onion sob fests (or conquering the urge)
6. Aromas
7. The end result.

How to Stir-Fry

1.) Chop.

Gather your favourite veggies from the fridge. Put on your favourite playlist or talk-show. Enjoying slicing the veggies however which way you feel like. Generally, smaller sizes cook better in the pan.

Feel the textures of the veggies and it’s okay to feel a bit of satisfaction as you chop them up swiftly & effectively.

2. The Aromatics

These are lots of fun. Ginger grinders (left) are beyond satisfying to operate. A mortar and pestle will do, too. Peel that onion. Indulge in some tears, or keep it together and become Mighty Onion Conqueror.

3. Pan Prep

Turn a burner to high heat. Flick some water droplets in to test if it’s heated, and if they erupt in an immediate sizzle, you’re golden. Add 1-2 tablespoons of oil, and allow the oil to heat alone in the pan until it begins to shimmer. Aromatics go in first to flavour the oil, then larger veggies.

3. Thick & Thin

Now you’re steamy & scented, add the thicker vegetables (broccoli, etc.) then the medium and thinner, progressively. Sauce comes later. Enjoy the smell, squeal, & sizzle when you swish & flip each juicy veggie around with a spatula.

Stir-Frys with a Pinch of Sadism

There is something about the smell, sizzle, & squeal of juicy vegetables when you press them down onto the hot pan with a spatula. The juices of the oil, the aromatics, and the fresh veggies combine in a crackly dance, as firecrackers at a festival. You crush the life juices from a bell pepper, feeling it sizzle beneath your hand, your nose greeted by a flavourful reward. You feel powerful but peaceful.

You’re not hurting, but creating. Hosting a slammin flavour party in honour of life.

4. Get Saucy

Once the veggies are almost tender enough to be done, add a sauce of your choice. I like to make a peanut sauce and add prepped vermicelli noodles in at this point, for a hearty dinner. This time I used a simple teriyaki & soy sauce combo.

Stir lots! I ate mine with some leftover wild rice from yesterday.

 

A pinch of honesty…

This is the part of the recipe where I get to be genuine 🙂 The cooking process was not as clean as it looks. Throughout the process, my kitchen featured:

1. A bowl of salad left overnight out of laziness that has seen better days
2. Crunchy Ring’s Classic Impenetrable Soy Sauce
3. A 10-year-old pan that looks its age, and deposits age-old wisdom in the form of black residue
4. A slightly singed first batch (mom called)
5. Fanning the fire alarm with a towel (I had to go pee)

Even when you’re hurting, or if you’ve burnt your stir-fry, there’s nothing wrong with a bit of char. In fact, it’s what flavours life.

 

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