Foodland Ontario Calendar March Recipe (Chicken and Vegetable Stir-Fry)

March... March is when it starts to get difficult to eat local. At this point you start looking forward to something other than root vegetables and look longingly at the imported berries and wonder how soon before the green onions, radishes, asparagus and rhubarb will be making their first appearance. Another thing about March is that this is when most of the greenhouse produce is available in full-force - peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, etc..

The March recipe for the Foodland Ontario calendar this month is a Chicken and Vegetable Stir-Fry using both root vegetables and greenhouse veggies together with chicken. Stir-frys are wonderful - pretty well any meat could be used, like pork, beef, or chicken. Any veggies work too! It's really versatile and can be made any time of the year, no matter what the season. In the spring peas and asparagus are great additions, and in the summer beans, broccoli or cauliflower work well too. What the stir-fry is served with can be altered too - it can be eaten on its own, on top of noodles or on a bed of rice, couscous, or quinoa. It's really up to you!

• 1/3 cup sodium-reduced chicken broth or water
• 2 tbsp Ontario soy sauce
• 1 tbsp each Asian chili garlic sauce, hoisin sauce and rice vinegar
• 1 tsp each granulated sugar and cornstarch
• 4 tsp vegetable oil
• 12 oz (375g) boneless skinless Ontario chicken thighs, cut into strips
• 1 Ontario onion, cut into thin wedges
• 2 Ontario carrots, cut into thin diagonal slices
• 1/2 each Ontario Greenhouse sweet red and yellow pepper, cut into julienne strips
• 1 tbsp minced gingerroot
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh coriander

Stir together broth, soy sauce, chili garlic sauce, hoisin sauce, vinegar, sugar and cornstarch until smooth, set aside.

In large non-stick skillet, heat 2 tsp of the oil over medium-high heat. Stir-fry chicken for 2 to 3 minutes or until juices run clear when chicken is pierced. Remove to plate.

Add remaining oil to skillet; stir-fry onion, carrot, peppers and ginger until tender-crisp, 3 to 5 minutes. Return chicken to pan; stir sauce mixture and add to pan. Bring to boil and cook until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes.

Sprinkle with coriander.

For this recipe I omitted the coriander because I'm not a fan. People either love it or hate it. I'm in the hate-it crowd. I can't even stand the smell of the stuff.

Next month's recipe for April will be a Fresh Greenhouse Pizza. A suggestion on the page is to end the meal with Rhubarb Apricot Bread Pudding. Coincidently, the Covent Garden Market calendar's recipe for April is Ontario Rhubarb Pudding Cake so I'll be sure to make both recipes on the same day.

**If you wish to view the online version of the calendar you may access it here: http://www.foodland.gov.on.ca/english/calendar/2012/index.html  

**If you'd like to view my blog entries for last year's calendar click on the 'Foodland Ontario' label on the left side of the page or view them by following this link: http://southwesternontariofoodie.blogspot.com/search/label/foodland%20ontario