NY Strip Steak & Chicken Stir Fry with Jasmine Rice

Here's another goodie that's going on the "My Favorite Recipes" page!  My little sous chef closed her eyes and said, "Mm!  Oh, this is good!  *chomp*  Mm!  *smack*  I want to eat this every day!"  My husband pounded his fist on the table and shouted, "This is darn good!  We need to have this once a week!"  Not gonna lie - that makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.  Believe it or not, this was the first time that it occurred to me to use my griddle to stir fry on.  I've stir fried in a wok and in a large skillet before with ease, but stir frying on the griddle offers so much more cooking surface.  Yes, it can make a big ol' mess in the kitchen if you're not careful, but let me tell you - it's so worth it!  The steak and chicken are sinfully succulent and the fried jasmine rice with veggies is amazingly delicious.  Make sure you leave enough for leftovers... it's even better!  

Note:  I find that using two spatulas while cooking the fried rice helps to keep the mess to a minimum.  

Jasmine Rice Ingredients:
Serves 4 - 6

• 3 c water
• 1 1/2 c jasmine rice 
• 2 tsp butter

Stir Fry Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp sesame oil, divided 
• 1/4 c plus 1 tbsp butter, divided 
• 1/4 c onion, minced
• 1 small zucchini, cut into 1-inch sticks 
• 4 oz mushrooms, chopped 
• 1/2 c frozen peas 
• 1/2 c frozen carrots 
• 2 large garlic cloves, finely minced 
• 1 tsp fresh ginger, finely minced 
• 1 tsp brown sugar 
• 2 tbsp soy sauce; plus more, to taste
• 2 large eggs 
• 2 New York strip steaks, trimmed of fat 
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts 
• Salt, to taste 
• Pepper, to taste 
• Optional:  Freshly squeezed lemon juice, to taste
• Optional:  Sesame seeds, for garnish

Directions:

Make the jasmine rice.  In a large pot, bring the water to a boil.  Add the butter.  When the butter has melted, stir in the jasmine rice.  Reduce the heat to low.  Cover and cook for 20 minutes.  Remove the rice from the heat and allow it to sit covered for 5 minutes, or until all of the water is absorbed.  Fluff with a fork.  Set aside.

Make the fried rice.  Preheat a griddle to 400 degrees.  Season the zucchini and mushrooms with salt and pepper.  Once the griddle is preheated, add 1 tbsp of the sesame oil and 1 tbsp of the butter.  Add the onion and cook for 1 minute.  Add the zucchini, mushrooms, peas, carrots, garlic, ginger, and brown sugar.  Cook and stir for 2 minutes.  Add the jasmine rice, 3 tbsp of the butter, 2 tbsp of the soy sauce, and stir well to combine.  Cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.  Add the eggs to an untouched part of the griddle and fry until cooked through.  Combine the fried egg with the fried rice.  Move the fried rice over with a spatula so that it occupies 2/3 of the griddle (to make room for cooking the steak and chicken).

Cook the steak and chicken.  Season the steak and chicken with salt and pepper on both sides.  Add the remaining 1 tbsp of sesame oil to the griddle.  Place the steak and chicken on the hot oil.  Cook the steak and chicken on both sides for 3 - 4 minutes on each side, or to desired doneness.  Make sure you are occasionally stirring the fried rice while cooking the steak and chicken.  Cut the steak and chicken into bite-sized pieces.  Drizzle a little soy sauce and add the remaining 1 tbsp of butter to the pieces of meat.  Cook and stir for 30 seconds longer.  

Season the fried rice with soy sauce and pepper, to taste.  Portion out the fried rice onto serving plates.  Add some of the steak and chicken to each plate.  Optional:  Splash with lemon juice, to taste.  Garnish with sesame seeds, if desired.

Enjoy!