I am loving being back into the kitchen — now that I’m beginning to get the hang of navigating the local grocery store. {How weird is it to feel like a foreigner in the grocery store you’ve been going to since you were a kid?} I’ve almost completely stopped converting prices back into Rand in my head, but I still do it every once in a while.

{I’m looking at you, strawberries. Why are you so expensive?}

A few nights ago I made a tasty little dinner that I was happy to discover works just as well in North Carolina as it did in South Africa and in Scotland. And if it’s that foolproof I thought you might dig it too!

I also took pictures of it ages ago and forgot to share.

It’s a Sausage Stir Fry that I started making in Scotland because I had it down to a science and it fed the Hubs and myself for around Three Quid — £3 = $4.75 = ZAR 38.50. {But it is slightly more expensive in the US and in South Africa because food is DERN cheap in Britain. I miss it!}

Here’s what you need so that you, too, can enjoy this hometastic goodness. What? Yes, of course I’ll make notes beside every ingredient. I haven’t hit my word quotient for the day.

Sizzling Sausage Stir Fry — Serves 2 (and a half)

  • Sausage. As long as it’s not ground (minced) it seems to work fine. But I try go for something a little bit spicy. 1 lb/500 grams — decide how much you need for your crew.
  • Three small bell peppers (Or more. A bag of frozen peppers is faster and works, but fresh is a little betta.)
  • 1 small onion, sliced (If onions give the baby you’re still nursing gas, skip this step.)
  • 1 medium carrot, thinly sliced (I use a peeler and just zoop that baby into nice and thin strips.)
  • 1 TSBP + 1 tsp olive oil, separated (A vegetable oil or sunflower oil will do. I suppose.)
  • 2 – 3 cloves of fresh garlic, minced (If you want to use the stuff from the jar, go ahead wid dat, but last month’s Consumer Report said fresh is better. Should I say minced or diced?)
  • 2 tsp fresh grated ginger (Did you know you can peel ginger, drop it in a sandwich bag and keep it in the freezer for ages? Take some out and grate it and slap the rest back in the icebox! Your mouth will thank you. Make sure you say icebox.)
  • 4 TSBP Soy Sauce (Because I said so.)
  • 1 TBSP honey (Or more.)
  • 2 TBSP orange juice (A different citrusy juice will probably be okay. I think I even tried apple juice once. But not lemon or lime juice. That’s pushing it.)
  • 1 TBSP Cornstarch (Add a little more if your sauce don’t wanna thicken in the pot.)
  • Egg Noodles (You can read the package and decide how much you need based on how many you’re serving. I trust you with this important task.)

Optional Extras for K.I.U.A.N (Kicking It Up A Notch):

  • A generous shaking of crushed red chill flakes (1 tsp)
  • A not-so-generous shaking of chili powder (1/4 tsp)
  • A moderately generous shaking of Paprika (Unless Paprika is the name of someone you know.) (1/2 tsp)

Now here we go.

Start by slicing your sausage with a bias cut because prettier food tastes better. My Mother-in-Love and I often talk about how true that is.

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Your garlic doesn’t have to be so pretty. Mince it up and remind me to show you a technique for that later.

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That’s my old cutting board, back in South Africa somewhere…sigh…twas a weddin’ gift…

Grate your ginger while you’re at it.

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That little zester with its handy backside for catching stuff is in a box in SA waiting to come this way. I hope.

Slice your bell peppers and zoop your carrot till they look good enough to eat.

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Slice an onion if the comment next to the onion ingredient doesn’t apply to you.

Getcha a good pan or a wok and warm up a teensy bit of olive oil over a medium-high heat. Give the garlic a little head start. Then brown your sausage with an occasional stir. When it suits ya. But don’t make your sausage feel neglected.

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While it’s browning, mix together the soy sauce, ginger, OJ, honey, and cornstarch. Stir in the optional extras for K.I.U.A.N. if you want your stir fry to be ssspicy.

Get in there with the strength the Good Lord gave you and work out those cornstarch clumps with a fork.

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How’s your sausage? If it has browned nicely, then move on to the next step. If not, wait a while, stir a while, wait a while, then move on to the next step.

Dump your sausage on a plate for a minute and set it aside. Tell the sausage it hasn’t been set aside, it’s been set apart.

Add that last TSBP of olive oil to the pan. Give the onions a minute head start if they’re joining your party. If not, let the bell peppers and carrots crash right in.

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If you like your veg to stay crunchier, sauté for 3 to 4 minutes. If you like your veg softer, 5 to 6 minutes. If you don’t care whether it has any nutritional value at all, just let it go as long as you fancy.

During this interlude, while occasionally stirring, it’s a good time to cook your egg noodles. Feel free to listen to music at the same time. U2’s How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb remains one of my all-time favorite albums if you’d like a recommendation.

When the peppers feel close to achieving your crunch factor, move them to the side. Give your sauce one last stir/cornstarch clump hunt, and dump it into the centre of the pan.

Wait for your sauce to begin to thicken and bubble, then stir it through the veggies.

{Note to self, and maybe for you, too: set aside some sausage for the Bear, who won’t eat it all spicy & peppery}

Add the {remaining} sausage back into the pan, stir until it’s all heated through and the sauce is nice and thick.

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Put a generous helping of egg noodles in bowls for serving. Top with a generous helping of your magical Sausage Stir Fry.

Stick a fork in, because it’s done.

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The final product is much prettier in person. My South African kitchen had dim lighting.

And there it is. Simple enough to work in three countries, and we enjoyed it every time. Dinner will be on the table before Bono sings “Yahweh.” But wait for it, because that’s an amazing song.

If you give this a bash, I’d love to hear how it goes. Hope you enjoy it! Born Up A Tree!

xCC

Extremely important notification: If you click that link to the U2 Album and buy it on Amazon, I get a tiny kick back. Just though ya should know.