By Mother's Day is next week and I've been planning the eggs Benedict again — I made it for the first time two years ago and it's established itself as the tradition. Mom asked about it on Tuesday without asking about it, which is the way she asks for things she'd like: she mentioned that she'd been thinking about hollandaise sauce and whether it was the egg yolks or the butter that made it what it was. I said it was both and that I'd demonstrate in a week. She said: Oh, if you want to. I want to.
The farrier business has settled into a rhythm that I could maintain indefinitely: seventeen accounts, Cole running twelve of them with complete competence, my time divided between the therapeutic cases, the rescue facility, and the ranching operations that are increasingly primary. The business funds itself and more, which means the ranch debt from the equipment loan Dad took in 2015 can be paid down faster than the original schedule. I've been doing this quietly, without announcing it. It's not a dramatic thing. It's just math and time.
Dr. Crain and I have been meeting every two weeks for two months now. The work is not dramatic either — it's more like slowly digging out something buried that you'd lost. Not recovering anything that was stolen, just finding what was always there and accessible but covered. That's an imprecise description of a process I don't have clean language for. The results are in the daily texture, not in moments of revelation. I sleep better. I make eye contact longer. I notice things about my parents that I was too defended to see before. Small metrics. The right metrics.
Made a Thai-inspired green curry this week — coconut milk, lemongrass, galangal, Thai basil, chicken. Far outside my usual range but the spring vegetable market in Livingston had supplies I don't usually see and I followed the ingredients. Good decision. The kitchen smelled different for a day and I ate something that asked nothing familiar of me. That's useful sometimes.
The Thai-inspired curry I made this week reminded me that the best cooking decisions often come from just following what’s in front of you — the market, the season, the ingredients you don’t usually reach for. This easy chicken stir fry is the version of that same instinct I keep coming back to: fast, adaptable, and built around whatever vegetables are fresh. It’s a recipe that rewards paying attention, which felt right for where things are right now.
Easy Chicken Stir Fry
Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 15 min | Total Time: 30 min | Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced
- 1 cup broccoli florets
- 1 cup snap peas
- 1 medium carrot, julienned
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1/4 cup chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- Cooked white rice, for serving
- Sesame seeds and sliced green onions, for garnish
Instructions
- Make the sauce. In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, cornstarch, chicken broth, and sugar until smooth. Set aside.
- Cook the chicken. Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a large wok or skillet over high heat. Add the sliced chicken in a single layer and cook without stirring for 2 minutes, then stir and cook another 2–3 minutes until cooked through and lightly browned. Transfer to a plate.
- Stir fry the aromatics. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the pan. Add garlic and ginger and stir fry for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Add the vegetables. Add carrots and broccoli first and stir fry for 2 minutes. Add bell pepper and snap peas and continue cooking for 2–3 more minutes until vegetables are tender-crisp.
- Combine and finish. Return the chicken to the pan. Pour the sauce over everything and toss to coat. Cook for 1–2 minutes, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens and coats all ingredients evenly.
- Serve. Spoon over cooked white rice and garnish with sesame seeds and sliced green onions.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 320 | Protein: 38g | Fat: 11g | Carbs: 16g | Fiber: 3g | Sodium: 890mg