Helloooo. My name is Marcus and I live in Michigan. I’m a good friend of Sami’s and I’m poppin’ out a guest post just for her. I’m going to teach y’all how to make SWEET AND SOUR STIR-FRY. It’s fast, it’s easy, it’s so delicious and it’s pretty cheap to make.

ANYWAY, you need a grocery list! Every good chef knows what to get and where. The ‘where’ is half the battle. Local, family-owned businesses usually try their best to have the freshest products and it’s always good to support your community. I bought everything I used from Westborn Market. There are only three of them and they’re all in Michigan, however, you can order super cool things from them and they will mail it to you!

• Chicken: 1 1/2 lbs will feed 4-5 people. {You can switch chicken out for tofu, fish, turkey or even nothing, to make it vegan or vegetarian. Add more veggies and fruit if you’re ditchin’ the chicken}.
• Vegetables: Choose two: Red, green, or orange bell peppers {I like orange bell peppers because they tend to be sweeter}.
• Tomato paste
• Rice vinegar
• Soy sauce
• Cornstarch
• Honey
• Fruits: Two of whatever fruit of your choice. {I like pineapples. You may like apples or oranges. Realize, you’ll be applying heat to these fruits so don’t choose anything that tends to get mushy. No watermelons, peaches, etc.}
• Rice: I used 3 cups of jasmine rice. It clumps well, smells amazing and has a gorgeous texture and taste.

After you’ve gotten your ingredients ready, it’s time to cook! Rice comes first. I use a rice-cooker for ease but you can do it old-school. This will be the base of your dish, so make sure you’ve got enough. Some people like salt. Some people like butter. Some people like paprika. Make your rice how you desire it, however keep in mind that it will be going with the rest of the dish so clashing flavors and herbs will make sadness.

Now that you’ve got rice going in the background, SAUCE TIME. This is where the sweet and sour comes in! In a sauce pan, combine:

• 1/3 cup rice vinegar
• 3/4  cup brown sugar
• 2/3 cup water
• 1/4 cup soy
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 2 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon honey

Bring this lovely mixture to a boil. Stir continuously until the mixture thickens. After this has occurred, take the mixture off the fire. Then cut up one of each veggie/fruit into moderately-sized pieces. Add them to the sauce, mix then set it all aside. You’re done making sauce. The fight is half over and you’re probably really hungry. Eat some fruit, I always munch on an apple while cooking.

NOW, take your protein. If it’s meat, slice into thin strips, marinate in the sauce for a bit. Ten minutes at least. If you’re planning on using tofu, drain and dry, marinate in sauce for a few hours then move on. Tofu needs time to correctly absorb flavor. If you’re just going to use more veggies, then you’re ahead of the pack. Take this time to eat more fruit or give yourself a manicure. Do not do that in the kitchen though, nail polish in food is gross.

NOW! Chop up remaining vegetables. Julienned is good and what I prefer. Some people like big chunks. Some people like cubed or diced. Do what makes you happy.

GET A SAUTE PAN. MEDIUM HEAT. SLIGHT BIT OF OLIVE OIL. SHAZAAM!

Once the pan is heated well {you’ll know because the oil will begin to move more like water than … well, oil}, toss in the veggies. PLEASE DO NOT REALLY TOSS IN VEGGIES. THE OIL WILL SPLASH AND BURN THINGS AND SKIN. Once the veggies have GENTLY been placed in the pan, stir! Keep them moving for about three minutes. Now, add in your protein and any remaining sauce. If you’ve only been using veggies here, then in your saute pan, you should have all your veggies and all the sauce. Bring it all to a boil, then lower heat to about medium-low. Put a top on the sucker and do a crossword!

Check your dish every few minutes. Stir it, adjust heat if needed {no burning please} and sample as you go. Your tongue knows best! Completing this portion of the cooking can take anywhere from 10-20 minutes. At the end, you’re looking for fully cooked meat, slightly soft veggies and a delicious scent.

If you haven’t been using a rice cooker, make sure to keep an eye on your rice. Two cups water to every one cup rice, low heat, add in herbs/butter/etc from the beginning.

THE END IS HERE. Fully cooked rice on plate, BOOM. Fully cooked veggies, protein and sauce on rice, BA-BOOM. Use remaining fruit as a garnish, WAH BAM BOOM. Now, get a fork and get to it.

-Love, Marcus!