Mystery Stir-Fry

I've taken to calling my various stir-fried (and sorta steamed) concoctions "Mystery Stir-Fry." For years, I've been cooking Mystery Casserole. In the last year or two, we've been eating Mystery Meat.* Now my stir-fry has taken on the characteristics of these mystery dishes.

In this case, I'm simply thinking of how I end up preparing one of the dishes--a little this, a little that, whatever is on hand and might go together more or less well. I plan the dish by going to the freezer to find a meat that will thaw in the time I have available and then, later, to the vegetable bin to see what I (a) have and (b) feel like messing with. Then, once the saute pan (no wok available) is ready and the veggies ready to be covered (a little steaming helps things cook faster when I'm tired of standing in the kitchen), I drag out the spices and herbs and start seasoning. Sometimes I want a curry flavor, sometime soy sauce, sometimes Italian, sometimes it's just a mystery.

Once the dish is done, I can eat it as is or add it to rice. Usually, I am quite satisfied when the "mystery" resolves itself to a delicious dinner.

A recent "Mystery Stir-Fry" came about thusly"

• I had a small package of frozen scallops thawing out. I've never actually cooked scallops at home, so this was sure to be an adventure.
• I tossed the scallops in the pan with a little vegetable oil, added a few stalks of fresh asparagus (which I am only just now learning to cook), and some slices of fresh button mushrooms.
• A little water, sea salt, coarse ground pepper, garlic powder (my irritation with fresh garlic is something for a later post).
• I covered the pan, waited a few minutes for the asparagus to get tender and the scallops to turn opaque.
• Served over brown rice, I spooned on some of the pan juices for the flavor.
  
• Usually I make a mystery dish and then never remember how it is done. I hope I remember this one. It was delicious--and very simple.
  

*This, I should point out, is not a reference to the unknown protein that appears in school cafeterias but to odd--and largely unknown--cuts of meat that we sometimes get at an especially good price. My Prince has occasionally come home with 10 or 20 pounds of excellent pork (sometimes beef) that could have been intended for chops or roasts or who knows what. Either the trainee butcher got to it or the master butcher was hung over. Seriously weird cuts. Seriously challenging to figure out how to prepare it. And more fun that way, to be honest.