Ginger Garlic Vegetable Stir Fry

 

Summer means loads of fresh vegetables, and that makes me happy. Today’s recipe is a quick, under-30-minute meal for a meatless night or a great side dish to your grilled meats. There are really no rules about ingredients in my recipe. If you don’t like carrots, leave it out. Not a fan of broccoli, substitute asparagus. As I always say, make this recipe your own. Today I’m using a small head of broccoli, carrots, green beans, red onion, colorful bell peppers, and mushrooms.  A cup of chopped raw broccoli will yield 2.6 grams of protein, while a cup of cooked broccoli contains about 1.9 grams. Broccoli deserves its reputation as a “superfood” because it’s high in fiber, folates, vitamin C, vitamin K, and potassium. Flash sauté them for just a few minutes. Combined with the other ingredients, they make a sassy stir-fried vegan/vegetarian dish. Serve with brown rice or over pasta. For added protein, add 1/2 cup of cooked legumes, raw cashews or walnuts, tofu, or other protein.

  

Group the veggies by the amount of time they take to cook. Start your cooking first with the dense vegetables that take longer to cook, such as, onion and bell pepper. Add the light cookers last, and mushrooms fall in the middle of the sequence. Broccoli placement depends on taste, if you prefer it crisp or softer. Obviously, the softer you want it, the longer it cooks.

 

 

Ginger Garlic Vegetable Stir Fry

Use organic when available. Serves 4

 

Ginger Garlic Vegetable Stir Fry is ready in less than 30 minutes using the freshest summer vegetables. Depending on your additions, it fits most diets: Vegan, gluten-free, dairy free, vegetarian.

 

Ingredients

Sauce

• 2 tsp sesame oil
• 1/2 cup vegetable stock or water
• 1 tbsp grated or minced fresh ginger
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup tamari or low sodium soy sauce
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tbsp maple syrup or honey
• 1 tbsp corn starch
• Optional for spicy sauce: 1/4 tsp of crushed red pepper flakes or to taste

Stir Fry

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 3/4 cup sliced carrots
• 1/2 cup halved fresh green beans
• 1/2 cup snow peas
• 1/2 cup sliced red onion
• 1 small head of broccoli, cut into florets
• 1/2 medium bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms (3 oz)
• 1/2 cup optional raw nuts, sesame seeds, legumes, or tofu

Instructions

• Whisk together all sauce ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
• Heat oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat
• Add onion, carrots, and bell pepper and cook for 2 minutes
• Add broccoli and cook for 1 to 2 minutes
• Add mushrooms to the pan and cook for 1 to 2 minutes or until tender
• Add the rest of the vegetables for an additional minute of cooking
• Optional: add nuts, seeds, legumes, or other protein in the middle of the stir-fry depending on the time needed to cook
• Whisk sauce again and pour over vegetables in pan
• Cook until thickened, stirring constantly, 1 to 2 minutes
• Remove from heat
• Serve over steamed brown rice, noodles, or other grain
• Optional garnish with chopped green onions, sesame seeds, or nuts

Enjoy!

 

This post was shared on these fabulous link parties!

Fresh Succotash

 

Succotash originated from Narragansett Native Americans living in the area now known as Rhode Island. The name is derived from a Narragansett word meaning “broken or boiled corn kernels.” Native Americans introduced succotash to struggling colonists in the 1600s.

  

In a few weeks, it will be 4th of July. Today is the perfect time to introduce a historic fresh vegetable side dish originally shared by Native Americans in the 1600s. Succotash is a highly underrated dish made with fresh sweet corn kernels, squash, onion, tomatoes, and lima or other beans. I remember enjoying it as a child with summer meals. Many Americans consider it a southern dish, but there are variations of the dish across the country. Now in modern times you can personalize the seasoning blend to be Greek, Latin, or Cajun. For example, you could use a green bell pepper or a red one. Today I am adding green beans, red bell pepper, cumin, and a jalapeño pepper. You can add whatever beans you have. Nearly every version has lima beans included but sometimes with the addition of other beans. I recommend using fresh vegetables in the summer if available, except for the lima beans. You may use frozen lima beans defrosted.

Fresh Succotash

Use organic when available. Serves 6

Ingredients

• 6 ears of corn kernels cut off the cob (abt 1 1/2 cups)
• 1/2 onion diced
• 1/2 red bell pepper diced
• 1 Jalapeño pepper seeded and sliced
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1/2 cup diced fresh tomatoes
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper
• 2 zucchini cubed
• 1/4 cup fresh green beans cut to 1/2" pieces
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 1/2 tsp butter or margarine
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 cup baby lima beans (can use frozen and thawed)

Instructions

• Heat olive oil and butter in a skillet over medium heat
• Add onion and cook stirring often for about 6 minutes until onion is soft and slightly golden
• Add red pepper, jalapeño, and garlic; stir and cook for 3 or 4 minutes until red pepper is softened
• Stir tomatoes, cumin, black pepper, and cayenne pepper into onion mixture
• Cook and stir for 1 to 3 minutes until heated
• Add zucchini, green beans, water, and a pinch of salt
• Cook until zucchini is tender about 5 minutes
• Add corn and lima beans to mix and heat about 3 to 5 minutes
• Adjust salt and pepper to taste and serve  

This post was shared on these fabulous link parties!