Asian Inspired Ginger Stir-Fry

Asian Inspired Ginger Stir-Fry (serves 2)
About 45 minutes total

Ingredients:
1 TB Canola Oil
½ yellow bell pepper, julienned
1 medium sweet onion, julienned (or red would be nice, too – then ½ onion)
2 trees broccoli, cut into bite sized pieces (not a whole bunch, just two trees)
1 carrot, julienned
2 cups peas, still in pods
1 small can water chestnuts, diced
2 cups sliced bok choy
2 leaves kale, sliced
4 green onions, chopped (top half of tops removed)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 TB fresh chopped (and peeled) ginger (*a little extra work, but SO worth it!)
1 TB rice vinegar
¼ cup sesame oil
½ cup soy sauce
3 TB honey
1 TB red chili paste (optional)
1 TB garlic powder
3 TB sesame seeds
Cooked brown rice to feed 2-4 people (optional)

Tip:  It’s a good idea to chop all of your veggies and to measure all of the ingredients before-hand so that you can just throw them in as you are stir-frying.  Otherwise, I get a little bit frantic…Better to be smiling and adding love as you cook rather than swearing and burning or cutting yourself!  This one goes fast.

1. Heat canola oil on high heat in a wok or large pan.  First add the onions, then immediately the peppers, carrots, and broccoli.  Sprinkle a little extra garlic powder.  Stir.  Saute for about 5 minutes.

2. Add the garlic, peas, and water chestnuts, then the ginger, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, soy sauce, honey, chili paste, and garlic powder.  Stir and wait about 2-4 minutes (until carrots are getting softer.)

3. Add bok choy & kale, stir for 2 more minutes.  Finally, sprinkle the sesame seeds and toss in the green onions.  Reserve some of both for the top when serving.

4. Serve over rice (if desired.)

Enjoy!

Improvisations:  Would be great with tofu, shrimp, chicken or beef.  My husband kept commenting how beef would be perfect with the flavors… poor husband, he’s such a good sport with his pescatarian wife! (That means I occasionally eat fish.)
Other great veggie additions:
2 cups fresh bean sprouts (would add at very end)

1 cup zucchini in half moon slices

1 cup yellow squash in half moon slices

baby eggplant cut in chunks

sliced bamboo shoots, (add all of these before garlic)

chow main noodles on top.

Would also be really nice garnished with fresh cilantro, but I didn’t have any at the time.

If you were to add all of these things, this would easily feed four.  I would double the ginger and perhaps add a little more soy sauce, rice vinegar, and sesame oil in that case.

And if you want a side dish:

Easy Sesame Soy Cucumber Salad

½ cucumber, peeled and sliced into strips
¼ sweet onion, julienned (or red)
1 tsp rice vinegar
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp honey
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp sesame seeds

Mix together, top with some of your sliced green onions.  It’s refreshing and blends with the flavors of the stir fry.

Would be nice with julienned peppers, julienned pea pods, and cilantro, too.  If you like spicy, mince up about 1/8 jalapeno to add and mince 1 clove fresh garlic.