Today, I’m back with another recipe. This time, I have my Americanized stir fry recipe. This is what I use to eat up fresh produce that I have in the fridge before it goes bad. It is filled with many nutrients and flavors, but as always, the meal is dependent upon what you have in the fridge. Also, it is adaptable, meaning, you can change small aspects of the meal to fit any dietary restriction.
If you haven’t seen our blog post about how to build a healthy, delicious, meal, I tend to buy fresh and/or frozen vegetables and seasonable vegetables to build my meals. Dependent upon your access will determine what ends up in your stir fry. Again, the purpose is to get rid of what you can.
If starting with frozen vegetables, start with thawed vegetables. This ensures your stir fry doesn’t end up mushy. Also, this recipe uses many summer vegetables, but almost any vegetables will do. You can add cauliflower, mushrooms, corn, asparagus, brussels sprouts (the flavor in these is strong, so you might want to roast them prior and add them at the end), peppers or lentils (cooked and added for protein). It depends on what you like to eat and what you have on hand.
To make this recipe vegan, you only have to adapt to the fat/protein source. I did not add the protein to the overall calorie count, this leaves room for personalization. Instead of using rendered bacon fat, use a light tasting oil like avocado or vegetable oil. For those interested in an oil-free option, you can sauté in water. If starting with thawed frozen vegetables, no water is needed. Delicious suggestions for vegan protein sources include, but are not limited to, tofu, tempeh, seitan, and/or toasted nuts.
To make this recipe gluten-free, replace the penne pasta with gluten-free noodle options or omit the noodles. Add a side of rice for the carbohydrates or with a baked sweet potato. (The baked sweet potato with the vegetables and cabbage is BOMB! Thank me later.)
To make this recipe keto/whole30 friendly, replace the penne pasta with zucchini noodles. If using zucchini noodles, though, don’t use zucchini pieces and add the hot stir fry to your raw noodles. This will help the noodles keep their shape and not get soggy. Similarly, if the squash is too high in carbs to be a replacement for you, omit the squash and add bell peppers, snap peas, and/or green beans for a fuller plate.
Lastly, when serving this meal, you may serve as a main course or a side dish. If serving as a main course, add a protein source of your choice. Some nice parings include honey barbecue chicken, homemade bacon, and/or pan-seared garlic, sriracha, and soy sauce tofu. Also, I serve this dish with steamed cabbage. This adds some greens to the dish. Any steamed/sautéed cabbage would pair nicely with this dish. You can add spinach, kale, or even collard greens to the dish, but these have stronger flavor profiles than cabbage.
Making the meal. To prepare the dish, start by chopping all of your fresh/frozen vegetables. Ensure they are all similar in size. Heat a large saucepan or wok to medium-high heat. Once slightly smokey, add your oil choice, onion, celery, and garlic. Ensure that you are stirring consistently to prevent burning. Once these vegetables are aromatic, add your carrots and broccoli. Allow these vegetables to sweat out some, or until the broccoli is brightly colored, but still firm. Then add the yellow squash and zucchini. Cook until the squash renders water. Then season generously (or to taste). Once vegetables are cooked to the desired texture (I prefer mine cooked, but with a crush still), add pasta and serve over a bed of steamed cabbage.
