Wok Wednesday: Stir-Fry

UMass Amhurst has done it again. Last year, a group of students along with Food Network chef Jet Tila, constructed the world's longest sushi roll. The beast measured in at 440 feet. Monday, however, rather than sucking down brews and throwing frisbees (or whatever college students do on national holidays) the gang reunited to construct the world's largest stir-fry. The concept behind the massive dish was to welcome students back to campus with this subtle reminder that healthy eating does in fact exist. And apparently, so do 14-foot pans.

The best thing about stir-fry is that it's everywhere. You can get it at just about any Asian restaurant, and it's one of my go-to ways to deal with an understocked fridge. Using minimal oil and effort and lots of veggies is a great way to hone your cooking skills without resorting to smothering everything in cheese.

Order of operations is key here. Start with the vegetables that take the longest to cook, like onions, peppers, green beans and carrots. Then gradually add softer vegetables like celery, eggplant, snow peas, bamboo shoots and chili peppers. Finally, add the protein and toss with everything else until just cooked through. You want everything to retain its proper texture and not turn into overcooked mush.

Remember your own college days when free time was wildly abundant with fresh, tasty stir-fry. Quickly, before we get any whole animal ideas from the 14-foot pan.