You need:
- A wok or big frypan with a lid
- A wooden spoon or spatula to stir it with
- Some olive oil or coconut oil
- A bunch of fresh vegetables, at least a few different kinds including broccoli or carrots, some kind of onions and some kind of dark greens like kale, spinach or chard. These will be divided into 3 categories – hard, soft and leafy
- Start with the “hard” vegetables, such as carrots, broccoli and cauliflower. These will take the longest to cook, so you want to put them in first. Chop them in approximately equal size pieces. Heat oil in pan on medium-high heat, then add the first vegetables. I put in the onions first too, because I like them to be very thoroughly cooked.
- While the hard vegetables are cooking, grab the rest of them, other than the leafies. These are the “soft” vegetables. Some vegetables that might be in this category include mushrooms, zucchini, bell peppers and celery. Chop them into equal size pieces, bits, slices or strips, whatever you prefer. Wait until the hard vegetables start to look cooked, broccoli should be bright green and moist, then add the soft vegetables. You can turn down the pan a little if they start burning to the bottom.
- While the vegetables cook, chop the green leafy ones. Add these, stir everything together, then add a small amount of water and cover the pan. Turn the heat down to medium. Let steam for 5-10 minutes, until vegetables are firm or a little crunchy, but all the way cooked. Don’t let them become mushy.
- For greens that cook really fast, like baby spinach or sprouts, you can add them at the last minute, and just cook another minute or two, until wilted but not too soft.
Keep in mind that one of the great things about a stir fry is it can be beautiful to look at. To make it pretty, add lots of different colors of vegetables, and cut each vegetable a little differently, so you have different patterns of color. Make sure you have some reds, yellows or orange to go with the greens. Purple cabbage adds color and texture. The pigments in the different colors are part of what gives each vegetable different healthy properties, so this beauty is not just on the surface.
Ideas for seasoning:
- Organic tamari sauce (this is soy sauce but healthier). A touch of tamari is all I add most of the time. It’s amazing how much this simple addition does to bring out flavors.
- If you feel like more flavor than that: Here's the basic rule for a good sauce: something salty, something sour and just a touch of something sweet, plus whatever other flavors you feel like. And if you're not trying to lose weight, add a little nice healthy fat too.
- Teriyaki – mix garlic, ginger, soy sauce and stevia. Add more of any of these to taste.
- Tahini sauce – Mix 1 part tahini, 1 part lemon juice, 1 part tamari, 1/2 part olive oil and a little maple syrup. Mix until smooth. Taste and add more tamari or lemon juice or maple syrup to taste. This is great on greens.
- Salty things: tamari, salt
- Sour things: lemon juice, vinegar
- Sweet things: Stevia, agave, honey, maple syrup, molasses, palm sugar
- Fats that enhance a sauce: tahini, olive oil, peanut butter, coconut milk
- Good flavor possibilities: garlic, ginger, curry, onion, lots more I'm sure, but I'm not that good with spices, so these are my go-to's. Comment on this post and add yours!
