The right techniques make it easy to create tasty and healthful meals.Stir-Fry Basics:To stir-fry, you will need the foods you want to cook, sliced thinly into uniform pieces. You’ll also need a small amount of a healthful fat like olive oil or canola oil, a shallow nonstick pan, and your stove.Heat a little bit of oil or broth in the shallow pan, then add the items that will take the longest to cook. If you have a large number of items, you can sauté them in batches.Thick, hearty vegetables take longer to stir-fry than their more delicate counterparts.Stir-Frying Tips:For the best stir-fry, keep the following tips in mind…

• A wok or skillet is a perfect stir-fry pan.
• It’s best not to overload the pan while you cook. If your ingredients don’t have enough room, some will end up mushy while others remain undercooked.
• Keep your ingredients in a single layer, with space between each piece.
• Wait until the pan is hot to add your items. That way, they will cook quickly and retain both flavor and color.
• Put oil in a spray bottle so that you can use it sparingly. If you “free pour” oil to cover the bottom of a pan, you will use way too much!

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