Alas! Again, it's dinner time, and you are salivating, overwhelmed by your hunger for your very own personalized dish at the BD stir-fry station. Of course, the infamous, dreaded line seems to stretch on endlessly, moving only at a snail's pace. Well, maybe not that slow, but the hunger makes it all the worse.
While withering away in line, you contemplate life's hardest decisions: does broccoli really complement water chestnuts? Do I seriously want ginger on my white rice? We know you are no master chef nor molecular gastronomist, but do not fret. We are here for you during this stressful, confusing time with our guide to optimizing your stir-fry experience.
1. The Classic
What could be a more classic Asian-American dish than the iconic chicken and broccoli? Simply order a steamed jasmine rice base with teriyaki bbq sauce, select stir-fry chicken for your meat, and add in some broccoli to your veggie bowl. Throw in a bit of garlic, too, for an extra kick.
2. The Bold
Feeling daring? We thought so. Select DOUBLE beef, wide rice noodles and spicy hoisin sauce on your order slip. Then, throw in peppers, onions, water chestnuts, broccoli, carrots, snap peas and garlic to your bowl. Last thing: don't forget to drizzle some sweet chili sauce on your creation for a bigger punch.
3. Green Machine
For all you vegans (and non-vegan veggie lovers) out there: select brown rice, tofu and sweet-n-sour pineapple sauce on your slip. Next, throw in everything green the eye might see: edamame beans, spinach, cabbage, snap peas, green peppers and broccoli (depending on the availability of veggies at the station when you go). Finally, sprinkle some sesame seeds on top. Congratulations: your dish may actually blend in with a forest.
Bonus Round: Quick Stir-Fry Hacks
If following the above recipes isn't really your thing, here are some tricks you can use to amp up your own favorite stir-fry combo.
1. Health Hack: No Base
Whether you're trying to avoid the "freshman fifteen" or attempting to build up those abs, sometimes we need to look on the healthier side of things. Simply do not check off any of the boxes for your carb base and write, "No rice/noodles," in the comments section of the paper slip. You will be greeted by a healthy, yet tasty mix of veggies (and/or meats), still stir-fried in your sauce of choice.
2. Health Hack: Double Veg
Use more than one cup to load up on vegetables! You are allowed two cups before the servers behind the counter start throwing you some shade. But don't be that guy who has five cups of garlic, smirking at the servers...and gets escorted out of BD.
3. Flavor Hack: Extra Sauce
Make use of the under-appreciated extra sauce bar to the left of the stir-fry area. A dash of Sriracha, sweet chili sauce and sesame seeds could turn a blandish noodle or rice bowl into a spiced-up gourmet dining experience.
#SpoonTip: Add some soy sauce to your mini black bowl before you hand it over to the servers behind the counter to lock in the savory umami flavor as deep into the dish as possible.
Here is a quick ranking of the fabulous sauces offered if you're still feeling indecisive.
Finally, I might offer my deepest apologies for making the stir-fry line even longer due to the likely surge of students running to get it upon reading this article.