Oh Stir Fry. What a wonderful staple weeknight meal that comes together so quickly – but dear lord, can you please give me some new ideas?
I got you.
After many years of making stir fries, I have realized a few rules
- Vary your vegetables. If you ALWAYS go to broccoli, cauliflower and peppers, how about a trip to the Asian market for some baby bok choi?
- Think about your veggies in terms of the mineral and nutrients you need for the day. We should be eating a minimum of 5-7 open palm sized servings of veggies each day. Cruciferous veggies are high in antioxidants.
- Don’t be afraid to use frozen veggies
- Vary your protein – I love chicken, turkey breast, and shrimp with this sauce. Tofu is great, as is tempeh.
- Your sauce is EVERYTHING. This one will BLOW YOU AWAY
- Serve over brown rice, cauliflower rice or shredded Napa cabbage (my fave)
Ingredients
- 2 tsp sesame oil
- 1 medium red onion
- 1 large knob ginger, finely chopped
- 2-3 cloves of garlic
- 1 tsp ginger, garlic and Chinese five spice
- 2 organic boneless chicken breasts, diced OR 1 large organic turkey breast or 12-15 large shrimp or 1-2 cups chopped tofu/tempeh (see cooking directions)
- Splash of tamari or soya sauce while cooking
- 3-4 cups cruciferous veggies: broccoli, cauliflower, shredded brussel sprouts,
- 1-2 cups fresh green veggies: green beans, snow peas, snap peas
- 1 cup mushrooms, chopped
- 1/2 cup frozen edamame, green peas or frozen asparagus
- 1/2 head of napa cabbage
- 1/4 cup sesame seeds
- 1 tsp ginger powder, garlic powder, Chinese Five Spice
SAUCE
- 1/4 cup runny almond butter
- 2 tbsp tamari or gluten-free soya sauce
- 1 knob fresh ginger, finely chopped
- 1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
- 1 tsp Chinese five spice
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 1 tsp honey
- Water to thin
Instruction.
Sauté the onion, ginger and spices until fragrant. Add your protein and stir fry over medium heat with your splash of tamari and a little water for 3-4 minutes until browned. Add the cruciferous veggies and stir fry quickly, turning up the heat. Next, add your fresh green beans, snap peas, and mushrooms.
TIP: IF you are using frozen veggies, remember these are flash-frozen and will need much less cooking time.
While the veggies and protein do their thing, mix together sauce ingredients in a small metal bowl. You can whip them up in your blender, which will create a nice, smooth sauce (hint: Double the recipe and it becomes a nice salad dressing!.
Toss the stir fry with the sauce, add the sesame seeds at the end and serve over Napa Cabbage. Delicious!!!