I have a bit of an obsession with Asian food. My dad frequently travels to Japan and Korea for business trips, so I've grown up trying all different Asian cuisines. When I studied abroad in Greece, a good friend of mine was from Thailand, and her family lived in Athens. They graciously invited us to their home one night for a full course, home cooked Thai dinner. It was one of the most incredible meals I have ever eaten! Now, whenever I'm going out to eat, you can pretty much guarantee I will pick a restaurant on the spectrum of sushi and Thai.
It's easy to eat vegetarian at most Asian restaurants, because they tend to cook with a lot of vegetables and rely on spices to flavor the food rather than animal products. Plus, it doesn't hurt that tofu is usually a major player on the menu.
I've been wanting to create a killer stir fry sauce for a while now, so that I can make a quick, restaurant style meal at home, and this one is so satisfying and versatile. I made it using zucchini noodles and brown rice, but you could easily mix up the base and use soba noodles, white rice, or even quinoa. You can also pick and choose which vegetables to use.
Zucchini Noodle Ginger Stir Fry
(serves 2)
Ingredients:
For the sauce:
5 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp sesame oil
2 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
2 tsp fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
2 tbsp soy sauce or gluten-free tamari
2 tsp brown sugar or coconut sugar
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper (more if you like it spicy)
(makes enough for leftovers)
For the stir-fry:
2 tsp coconut oil or olive oil
1/2 small white onion, sliced
2 cups broccoli florets
1/2 bell pepper, sliced
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
1 carrot, spiralized*
1/2 small zucchini, spiralized*
1 cup kale
1/2 cup frozen edamame
sesame seeds, for garnish
1 package frozen brown rice (from Trader Joe's)
1. Heat the oil in large frying pan or wok on medium-high heat. Add onion, cook for 2-3 minutes. Add broccoli, pepper, mushrooms, and carrot and cook until fork tender. Add kale, cook for another 2 minutes until kale wilts.
2. Cook frozen edamame according to package instructions. Cook brown rice in microwave according to package instructions.
3. Meanwhile, combine all the sauce ingredients in a blender (I used a Magic Bullet).
4. Once veggies are done cooking, lower heat slightly and add zucchini noodles until warmed through.
5. Add edamame and about half the sauce, combining everything.
6. Serve hot, over brown rice.
*I recently purchased this spiralizer and it fun to use and very versatile. You can get similar results using a julienne peeler.
As I mentioned before, you can get creative with this dish and tailor it to your preferences.
What is your favorite cuisine, and have you tried making it for yourself at home?
It's easy to eat vegetarian at most Asian restaurants, because they tend to cook with a lot of vegetables and rely on spices to flavor the food rather than animal products. Plus, it doesn't hurt that tofu is usually a major player on the menu.
I've been wanting to create a killer stir fry sauce for a while now, so that I can make a quick, restaurant style meal at home, and this one is so satisfying and versatile. I made it using zucchini noodles and brown rice, but you could easily mix up the base and use soba noodles, white rice, or even quinoa. You can also pick and choose which vegetables to use.
Zucchini Noodle Ginger Stir Fry
(serves 2)
Ingredients:
For the sauce:
5 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp sesame oil
2 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
2 tsp fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
2 tbsp soy sauce or gluten-free tamari
2 tsp brown sugar or coconut sugar
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper (more if you like it spicy)
(makes enough for leftovers)
For the stir-fry:
2 tsp coconut oil or olive oil
1/2 small white onion, sliced
2 cups broccoli florets
1/2 bell pepper, sliced
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
1 carrot, spiralized*
1/2 small zucchini, spiralized*
1 cup kale
1/2 cup frozen edamame
sesame seeds, for garnish
1 package frozen brown rice (from Trader Joe's)
1. Heat the oil in large frying pan or wok on medium-high heat. Add onion, cook for 2-3 minutes. Add broccoli, pepper, mushrooms, and carrot and cook until fork tender. Add kale, cook for another 2 minutes until kale wilts.
2. Cook frozen edamame according to package instructions. Cook brown rice in microwave according to package instructions.
3. Meanwhile, combine all the sauce ingredients in a blender (I used a Magic Bullet).
4. Once veggies are done cooking, lower heat slightly and add zucchini noodles until warmed through.
5. Add edamame and about half the sauce, combining everything.
6. Serve hot, over brown rice.
*I recently purchased this spiralizer and it fun to use and very versatile. You can get similar results using a julienne peeler.
As I mentioned before, you can get creative with this dish and tailor it to your preferences.
What is your favorite cuisine, and have you tried making it for yourself at home?