The Best Stir-Fry Ever

About author / Christine Gable

Culinary enthusiast; kids cuisine and slow cooking; magazine recipe developer; professional writer. Her simple recipes are great for family dinners.

What’s not to love about a stir-fry for dinner?

1. It’s quick.
2. It’s easy.
3. It’s healthy.

But rely on it too many nights and it’s … well, boring. While we often fall back on a stir-fry when it seems like there’s nothing else in the house for dinner, I really was getting awfully bored with the same old, same old carrots, onions, peas and rice.

Yeah, for some reason these three are the most common veggies that get seared and sautéed with our leftover rice. In an effort to spruce things up—and to take advantage of using one of my daughter’s favorite vegetables (red peppers), we serendipitously discovered the best stir-fry yet.

We even have a name for it that reflects our new-found dish’s deliciousness: confetti rice. For just as confetti makes the most exciting parties even more fun (hey, think Times Square for New Year’s), this easy yet delicious dish makes a festive accompaniment for regular ol' weekday dinners. And who can’t use a little more pizzazz in their daily rounds, eh? Best of all, all you need is some leftover rice and a red and green pepper. Pair it with a protein of your choice (preferably lean and healthful) and dinner’s on the table in a snap.

It’s funny (or just plain sad, really) how I get into the routine of buying the same old veggies and fruits at the store. Seems like I turn into a produce department automaton—carrots, broccoli, and lettuce—eyes glazing over in my haste to find myself on the other side of the list and scanner, dreaming of those automatic doors snapping shut behind me.

But luckily the one store that I shop at has a discounted produce table, and I do enjoy checking out the surprises there. From bags of cilantro and basil to cherry hot peppers, jalapenos and other peppers, inspiration is oft surprisingly found on this discount rack. And it’s those eureka moments that are most welcome … especially when dinner is looming. And even better when it involves a large bag of peppers—green, yellow and red (daughter’s favorite). And that’s a veggie that I used to not buy often at all—and I still have to remind myself not to walk by it in a stupor.

You see, when there’s red pepper on my daughter’s plate, it makes her day. Yep, something as simple as slicing those ruby red slices and placing them beside a sandwich guarantees she’ll meet one of her veggie servings per day. And all I have to do is remember to do is buy it, wash it and chop it. That’s A-1 for a busy mom.

And that’s how I happened to have a bag of green and red peppers just waiting to be used. And you know what I discovered? The sweet flavor of those red peppers is accented even more by a quick and fast sauté in a tad of olive oil. Paired with the slightly edgier, bitier flavor of the green makes a perfect stir-fry to spruce up day-old rice in a fabulous way.

So next time you have a few peppers and some leftover rice, go ahead and turn it into a gourmet side. It looks and tastes like it took a lot more time than it really did—and that’s always a winner in my book.

Serves/Makes: 4

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 small green bell pepper, diced into 1/4-inch pieces
• 1 small red bell pepper, diced into 1/4-inch pieces
• 1/4 teaspoon Adobo seasoning*
• 2 cups cooked rice