Recipe: Kielbasa Stir-Fry

This is mr warillever's favorite dinner. I have cooked it once a month since I found it in the May 2003 issue of Light and Tasty. Over time we have adjusted the original recipe to our family's tastes and budget.

• 1 package turkey kielbasa*
• 2 small onions, quartered and separated
• 3 carrots cut into matchsticks**
• 2 tablespoons chicken stock***
  
• 1 large can unsweetened pineapple, cubed****
• 2 tablespoons Wondra or cornstarch
• ginger*****
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce

Stir fry kielbasa for 3-4 minutes or until golden brown. Remove kielbasa; stir-fry carrots and onions with one cube of chicken broth.*** Drain pineapple, reserving the liquid. Return kielbasa to the wok and add pineapple cubes. Heat through.

Combine pineapple juice and soy sauce with enough water to make it total 3/4 cup of liquid. Mix in Wondra and ginger until smooth. Add to the wok. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Serve over sticky white rice.

* Do NOT use regular kielbasa! When fried it becomes very greasy and saturates the vegetables. I cut the kielbasa on the diagonal, then cut those in quarters to form bite-size pieces.

**The original recipe called for 1 cup of shredded carrots. I have found that shredded carrots get too mushy. Cutting into matchsticks is time consuming, but really makes a difference in taste. I also increased the amount of carrots in order to stretch the recipe a bit further.

***I freeze chicken broth into ice cube trays whenever there are chicken bones lying around. You can easily use water or skip this step entirely, leaving the kielbasa in the pan as you cook the veggies.

***An 8oz can is too small; a 20oz can is too large. If you allow the children to eat one ring each as you cook it will be just right.

****The original recipe calls for 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of ground ginger. I grate about 1/2 inch of frozen ginger root. "Real" ginger makes a real difference.