I am all about easy. I have four kids and a husband running a company – easy has become my “drug” of choice (out of necessity, mostly….but whatever). It doesn’t get much easier than this easy veggie stir fry recipe!
Doing what I do, I’m naturally more conscious of what we’re eating (and not eating). Knowing just how many vegetables we should be eating daily is overwhelming – how the heck am I supposed to get that all into us in one day? With picky eaters? Not to mention I don’t even have that many pots!
The answer: Mix ’em all together.
I’ve always loved stir fry dishes, but wasn’t much of a “create your own adventure” cook, so I felt more comfortable following a recipe. I always found though that the recipes had too many ingredients we didn’t have on hand and too many steps (all about easy, remember?). Now that I”m a little more confident in the kitchen (as one is often forced to be when you want your picky children and hubby to eat specific things), I’ve been experimenting to come up with some of my own dishes and this one is one of my favourites. Besides the vegetables, it has only two additional ingredients. Bam!
You can throw pretty much any veg into this thing and it’ll taste delicious. We just chop up pretty much whatever vegetables we have in the fridge (and enough to make it several times during the week). It’s great as a side dish, or chop up some cooked chicken or shrimp and toss it into the pan when it’s almost ready.
The fact that it’s so easy is awesome, but the best part about this recipe is all the benefits we get from the ingredients:
- garlic and onions provide cardiovascular support and can help lower blood pressure. Garlic also can help the body use insulin more efficiently, which is great for hormone balance and weight management;
- cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, brussel sprouts) help the liver with detoxification and also contain a phytochemical that can inactivate harmful estrogens in the body – a HUGE deal for hormone balancing;
- carrots are high in beta-carotene which supports eye health and can improve your night vision (seriously, your mom wasn’t just making that up!);
- celery contains a compound found to lower blood pressure (eat 4-5 stalks a day!); and
- mushrooms offer tremendous therapeutic benefits including immune support, liver function benefits, and increasing stamina and endurance (depending on which ones you use).
1-2 tbsp tamari sauce (healthy substitute for soy sauce)
Heat a large pan on medium heat and then add oil. Once oil is heated, add garlic and saute for 2-3 minutes (don’t overcook). Add remaining vegetables and saute for 7-8 minutes, until their colors are nice and bright and they’re slightly softened. Stir in tamari sauce and cook for about another minute. Remove from heat, serve and enjoy! (*I’m allergic to peppers, so we don’t use them, but you should definitely add them if you can tolerate them – mega vitamin C!)
What you put into your body has a direct effect on how you feel and your overall health. I honestly don’t think enough of us realize that connection. I also think a lot of us feel that healthy eating is a lot of work, but I can assure you that it doesn’t have to be – remember how much I love easy! Small changes make huge differences…slow and steady will do the trick, but you gotta make sure to be doing them.
What veggies would you add to this one?