One of the dishes we enjoyed at our Friday night BBQ:

HONEYED CARROTS

So easy: just peel the carrots, parboil them in sugar water for about ten minutes, then coat them in equal parts sesame oil, balsamic glaze, and honey. Dot with garlic cloves, and roast in a 400F oven for another ten minutes or so, or until just fork-tender.

WHATEVER’S-IN-THE-CUPBOARD STIR FRY

Since Kendrick and I were snowbound last night, we had to scrounge around a bit to find ingredients with which to make dinner. This easy stir-fry is almost impossible to make a disaster of, and you can pretty much add whatever you like to mix things up.

I just browned some chicken pieces in olive oil, then added chopped mushrooms and stir-fry sauce and pushed it all about in a large wok until the chicken was cooked through and the mushrooms were tender. I added a few shakes of garlic powder and some kosher salt and pepper, and then poured in a can of water chestnuts (drained, of course) and a couple of large handfuls of spinach. Served over basmati rice, this was the perfect cold-winter-night meal.

What do you add to your stir-frys to make them extra delicious?