Vegetable Stir Fry
This super-easy recipe is loaded with healthy vegetables. If you wanted to boost your protein intake you could add beef, chicken, or shrimp, but it is perfect as a low-fat, healthy, vegetarian meal. We served this dish over soba noodles, but you could also serve it over brown or white rice, or your favorite Chinese noodles. This recipe made 3 hearty servings. You can add Crushed Red Pepper Flakes for a little kick of heat, or leave them out entirely and enjoy this dish just as it is: mild and savory.
To thicken the sauce for this recipe make a slurry--a blend of corn starch and water. Mix them together and use right away; if it sits too long, the corn starch will separate from the water. Stir the slurry into the sauce as it's cooking. Slurries are only effective in hot liquids; they will clump if you try to stir them into a cold liquid.
Our Chinese Five-Spice Powder is blended from anise, cloves, fennel, cinnamon, and Sichuan pepper.
- 3 cups broccoli florets, small
- 3 carrots, julienne
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 3 celery ribs, julienne
- 1/2 red or green bell pepper, sliced
- 8 oz mushrooms, sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons tamari soy sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon Chinese Five Spice Powder
- 1/2 cup vegetable broth
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons water
- Crushed Red Pepper Flakes to taste
- Heat oil in large skillet or wok and saute broccoli and carrots for 3-4 minutes.
- Add celery, bell pepper, mushrooms, garlic, soy sauce and Chinese Five Spice Powder. Saute for another 2-3 minutes; they should still be crunchy and crisp.
- Add vegetable broth and bring to a boil.
- Stir cornstarch and water together to make a slurry. Stir slurry into boiling mixture and simmer 1 minute.
- Serve over rice, with soy sauce and chow mein noodles. Sprinkle with Crushed Red Pepper Flakes, if desired.
