Stir fries are an excellent way to incorporate a wide variety of nutritious vegetables into your diet. If you’re like me, your energy lags over the darker winter months. Eating more steamed, roasted, or stir-fried vegetables always gives me a natural boost of good energy. It’s also easy on the old digestive system as opposed to processed food. Be fearless and give a veggie stir fry a try!

In addition, garlic and fresh ginger are nurturing to the immune and digestive system, like a warm, comforting hug. Remember those?? And they add a ton of flavour to any recipe.

TASTY TOFU & VEGGIE STIRFRY

1 block of extra-firm tofu, dried with paper towel & cubed

15 ml nutritional yeast

250 ml each of whatever vegetables you have hiding in the crisper: chopped & de-stemmed swiss chard, chopped carrots, cauliflower, broccoli, sliced zucchini, sliced mushrooms, thinly stripped green & red peppers, 3-4 chopped asparagus spears, and so on… A wide variety of veg delivers more vitamins and minerals you need

1 small yellow onion, diced

2-3 large cloves chopped garlic

1-2 chopped green onions and 15 ml sesame seeds for topping

30 ml olive oil

Saucey Sauce:

60 ml vegetable oil

Few drops of sesame oil

60 ml soy sauce or tamari

30 ml grated fresh ginger

15 ml chili sauce or 5 ml crushed red pepper flakes (or none if your sensitive to hot spices)

1. Drain and dry tofu with paper towel; once or twice will suffice. Cube and stir-fry in vegetable oil heated over medium-high heat until brown and crispy on the outside. Add 1/4 of the sauce; stir to coat. Coat with 15 ml nutritional yeast if desired, remove from heat and set aside.
2. Stir-fry onion in vegetable oil over medium-high heat a few minutes. Add vegetables except chard; continue to stir. Mix in swiss chard last as it only needs about 4 minutes to wilt into the mixture. Add all of sauce and stir it up!

3. Stir in cooked tofu; toss. Spoon over noodles, jasmine Thai rice (my favourite), or brown rice. Top with generous sprinkle of fresh green onions and sesame seeds if you have them.

Eat your vegetables and feel soooo amazing afterward!

With stir fries, practice makes perfect. If something doesn’t turn out the way you want the first time, try again. Watch a YouTube stir fry demonstration or two. Veggie stir fries are incredibly healthy and leftovers are easily heated in the microwave the next day for a quick lunch. Who doesn’t love not having to make a sandwich for lunch? I do! Enjoy!

TARA PANRUCKER COPYRIGHT 2020

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED