Easy Chicken Stir-Fry Recipe — Simplified for ADHD, Dyslexia & Busy Moms
Have you ever started a recipe and lost your place by step three? Or read the same line four times and still felt confused? You are not alone.
That has been my life in the kitchen for as long as I can remember. For a long time, it made cooking feel impossible — even when the recipe was supposed to be easy.
I actually prefer baking over cooking. Baking is precise. The steps are clear, the measurements matter, and there is no room for guesswork. Cooking is different. It comes with vague instructions like “cook until done” and long paragraphs where I would lose my place and not know how to recover.
So I stopped fighting it. Instead, I started rewriting recipes my way.
Why I Created My Own Recipe Cards
About three years ago, I started doing two things with every recipe I found. First, I modified it to suit my family’s taste. Second, I rewrote the instructions in a format I could follow without making a mistake.
I pulled recipes from old cookbooks, from TikTok creators who shared meals on video, and from family. Then I made them my own.
No more long paragraphs. No more flipping back and forth between an ingredients list and a directions list. Instead, each ingredient sits right next to its action step. You move down the card the same way you move through the recipe — one step at a time.
I printed the cards and kept them in my kitchen. They genuinely changed the way I cook. Later, I started using them with my kids. They worked just as well for little hands learning their way around a kitchen.
Who These Recipe Cards Are For
These cards were made with you in mind if any of this sounds familiar:
- You have ADHD and lose your place or get distracted mid-recipe
- You have dyslexia and long blocks of instructions are hard to follow
- You are neurodivergent and need information in a clear, predictable format
- You are a busy mom trying to get dinner on the table without mental overload
- You are teaching your kids to cook and want something they can follow on their own
- You just prefer things simple — and there is nothing wrong with that
About 15 to 20 percent of the global population is neurodivergent. That means a lot of people are trying to follow recipes that were never written for them. That is the gap I am trying to fill — one card at a time.
The Recipe: Chicken Stir-Fry
This is one of my family’s most-used weeknight meals. It is fast, colorful, and kid-approved. Because the chicken marinates ahead of time, you can even freeze it. On a busy night, you just thaw and cook. That flexibility is exactly why it made the cut.
Below is the full recipe written the traditional way. After that, you will see how my card simplifies it.
Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken breast, thin sliced
- 1 red pepper
- 3 carrots
- 1 head broccoli
- 1 T garlic
- 1/2 T ginger
- 2 T sesame oil
- 1 T soy sauce (plus more for serving)
- 1 c basmati rice
Directions
Step 1 — Start the rice. Add 1 cup of basmati rice to a pot with 1/2 cup of water. Bring it to a boil. Then cover and steam on low for 25 minutes.
Step 2 — Chop the vegetables. While the rice cooks, chop and slice the red pepper, carrots, and broccoli. Try to cut them evenly. Even cuts help everything cook at the same pace.
Step 3 — Marinate the chicken. In a bowl, combine the thin sliced chicken with garlic, ginger, sesame oil, and soy sauce. Toss to coat. Let it sit while you finish prepping. This is also a good time to freeze it if you want to prep ahead — just seal it flat in the marinade and freeze. Thaw it on the night you plan to cook.
Step 4 — Cook everything. Heat a large pan to high heat. Add the marinated chicken and stir-fry until it is cooked through. Then add the vegetables. Keep stir-frying until they are crisp-tender — cooked but still firm with a little bite.
Step 5 — Serve. Serve everything over rice with extra soy sauce on the side.
My Simplified Version
On my recipe cards, the ingredients and steps live together. There are no separate lists and no hunting for the next step. It looks like this:
| Ingredient | What To Do |
|---|---|
| 1 c basmati rice | steam 25 mins in 1/2 c water |
| 1 red pepper, 3 carrots, 1 head broccoli | chop & slice evenly |
| 1 lb chicken + garlic, ginger, sesame oil, soy sauce | combine & marinate — or freeze for later |
| Chicken | add to hot pan & stir fry until cooked |
| Vegetables | add in & stir fry to crisp-tender |
| Serve over rice with soy sauce |
Simple. Scannable. You always know where you are and what comes next.
Want the Printable Card?
If this format would help you in your kitchen, the print-ready card is available to purchase. It is clean, simple, and easy to follow. Just print it and keep it right on your counter.
Get the Chicken Stir-Fry Recipe Card →
New cards are added regularly across a variety of categories — proteins, salads, soups, drinks, and desserts. All of them are family-tested and written in the same simplified format. When you purchase, you are automatically added to my list so you will know when new cards are available.
Monica Guy is a Houston-based Realtor, baker, and mom. She spent years feeling defeated in the kitchen before she started rewriting recipes her own way. Her simplified recipe card system was built out of personal necessity and has been used in her family’s kitchen for three years. She believes good food should be accessible to everyone — regardless of how their brain processes information.