“Red Rules!” Stir-fry

"Red Rules" Stir-fry

After deciding on my ingredients for this vegan stir-fry, I found a “red” theme emerging. Quite appropriate during a month that’s all about Valentine’s and roses, don’t you think?  Red bell peppers, red potatoes, red kidney beans…and some Spanish paprika in the seasoning (red also!). To add some other colors to the plate, I tossed in cauliflower and spinach. too. Although my preference is to eat this tasty dish without any underlying grain, you might also enjoy it served over brown rice or quinoa. 

About this dish:
Vegetarian/vegan? Yes, it is!

Gluten Conscious? You’re in the clear!

Everyone: Dig in! 

What You’ll Need For the Stir-fry:

• Spinach – 6 cups
• Cauliflower – 3 cups, chopped
  

  Raw Materials

• Red bell peppers – 3 cups chopped
• Red potatoes – 3 medium-sized, chopped into small pieces
• Red kidney beans – 2 cups, cooked
• Olive oil – 1 Tbsp to prep pan
• Cilantro – 1 tsp
• Spanish paprika – 1 tsp
• Ginger – 1 tsp
• Sea salt – 1 tsp
• Black pepper – 1/2 tsp

 Get cooking…

1. In a small bowl, combine cilantro, papriak, salt, black pepper & ginger, then set aside.
2. Warm olive oil in an extra large deep frying pan or wok on medium heat.
3. When the pan is hot, add potatoes and cauliflower. Stir often & cook until slightly tender.
4. Decrease heat to low and spinach and red peppers. Stir often & cook until tender, but not overdone.
5. Add red kidney beans and spices.
6. Stir until well-mixed.
7. Serve (over rice or quinoa if you wish) and enjoy!

Makes 4  servings – Eat well!

Brussel Sprouts Stir-fry in Spanish Paprika Spice Medley

Connect with me!  Facebook  | Twitter | LinkedIn | Google+

Brussel Sprouts Stir-fry in Spanish Paprika Spice Medley

I just love when brussel sprouts make the  Produce Geek‘s picks of the week ! Although, they’re not a “traditional” stir-fry ingredient, they are absolutely one of my all time favorites. They’ve got substance, and they pair well with other veggies surprisingly well. This week, I combined them with sweet red bell peppers, onions, eggs & a combo of spices. I think you’ll enjoy the varied colors, tastes and textures . Serve it up with some rice if you like,  but it’s equally delightful on its own.

Vegetarian/vegan? Vegans, use your favorite beans instead of the eggs.

Gluten Conscious? You’re in the clear!

Everyone: Dig in! And subscribe to Eat This Now directly to get the Produce Geek’s expert buying advice every week.

What You’ll Need For the Stir-fry:

First the Produce Geek’s picks…

• Brussel Sprouts – 6 cups, halved
  

  Raw materials

   

Other ingredients…

• Sweet red bell pepper – 1 large pepper, cut into bite-sized chunks
• Sweet onion – 2 cups, chopped into large pieces
• Eggs – 8
• Brown rice (optional) – 2 cups
• Spanish paprika – 1 tsp
• Dill weed – 1 tsp
• Dry mustard – 1/4 tsp
• Sea salt – 1/4 tsp
• Black pepper – 1/4 tsp
• Olive oil – 1 Tbsp

 Get cooking…

1. Warm olive oil in an extra large deep frying pan or wok on medium heat.
2. When the pan is hot, add onions, peppers and brussel sprouts. Stir often until tender, but not overdone.
3. Decrease heat to low and add eggs.
4. Stir often until eggs are thoroughly cooked and distributed throughout.
5. Add spices and stir until well-mixed.
6. Serve (over rice if you wish) and enjoy!

Makes 4  servings – Eat well!

Pepper Perfect Stir-fry with Sweet Ginger Soy Sauce

Connect with me!  Facebook  | Twitter | LinkedIn | Google+

Pepper Perfect Stir-fry with Sweet Ginger Soy Sauce

Peppers, peppers, colorful peppers were on the  Produce Geek‘s picks of the week . With the weather forecast predicting that all will be white tomorrow morning, I was happy to cook up a dish that is bright and not even close to monochrome. Red peppers, yellow peppers and some Hungarian hot wax peppers with cabbage, kidney beans in a sweet ginger sauce. Beautiful for the eyes to behold – and quite delicious as well! Perfect over rice, or on its own (the way I like it!).

Vegetarian/vegan? You’re good to go – No meat or animal products here!

Gluten Conscious? You’re in the clear, too! Just be sure to check the label if you use soy sauce instead of Liquid Aminos.

Everyone: Dig in! And subscribe to Eat This Now directly to get the Produce Geek’s expert buying advice every week.

What You’ll Need For the Stir-fry:

First the Produce Geek’s picks…

• Red bell pepper – 1 1/2 cups, chopped into bite-sized pieces
  

  Raw materials

• Yellow bell pepper – 1 1/2 cups, chopped into bite-sized pieces

Other ingredients…

• Green cabbage – 6 cups, chopped
• Hungarian hot wax pepper – 1 large pepper (seeds removed), thinly sliced
• Red kidney beans – 2 cups, cooked
• Brown rice (optional) – 2 cups, cooked
• Long hot peppers – 1/2 cup, chopped into small pieces
• Olive oil – 1/4 cup (plus 2 Tbsp for prepping the pan/wok)
• Rice vinegar – 3 Tbsps
• Fresh Ginger – 3 Tbsps, minced
• Honey – 3 Tbsps
• Bragg’s Liquid Aminos (or soy sauce) – 2 tsps

 Get cooking…

1. Prepare the stir-fry sauce: Whisk together olive oil, rice vinegar, liquid aminos, ginger  & honey into a small bowl and set aside.
2. Warm 2 Tbsps olive oil in an extra large deep frying pan or wok on medium heat.
3. When the pan is hot, add peppers and cabbage. Stir often until tender, but not overdone.
4. Decrease heat to low and add sauce.
5. Stir until ingredients are warm and evenly distributed.
6. Serve (over rice if you wish) and enjoy!

Makes 4  servings – Eat well!

Sweet Potato and Split Pea Stir-fry in Honey Mustard Sauce with Whole Wheat Pasta

Connect with me!  Facebook  | Twitter | LinkedIn | Google+

Sweet Potato and Split pea Stir-fry in Honey Mustard Sauce

Yellow sweet potatoes, yellow split peas and a deliciously tangy sauce made with mustard (also yellow). I’m no psychologist, but my guess is that the past few days of gray skies have subliminally driven me to create a recipe that holds some resemblance to rays of sunshine. So, with the Produce Geek‘s picks of the week and some of my own favorites, I’ve created a non-traditional (but aren’t they all?) vegan stir-fry that will counter any degree of the winter doldrums .

Vegetarian/vegan? You’re good to go – No meat or animal products here!

Gluten Conscious? All will be well if you use gluten-free pasta, (Also, be sure to check your vinegar and mustard labels to make sure you’re in the clear.)

Everyone: Dig in! And subscribe to Eat This Now directly to get the Produce Geek’s expert buying advice every week.

What You’ll Need For the Stir-fry:

First the Produce Geek’s picks…

• Sweet potatoes – 2 cups, sliced into very thin bite-sized pieces
  

  Raw materials

Other ingredients…

• Broccoli florets – 4 cups
• Sweet onion – 2 cups, in thin wedges
• Yellow split peas – 2 cups, cooked
• Whole wheat linguine (or other pasta) – 2 cups, cooked
• Long hot peppers – 1/2 cup, chopped into small pieces
• Canola oil – 1/4 cup (plus 2 Tbsp for prepping the pan/wok)
• White wine vinegar – 3 Tbsps
• Brown mustard – 1/4 cup
• Honey – 3 Tbsps

 Get cooking…

1. Prepare the stir-fry sauce: Whisk together canola oil, white wine vinegar, mustard  & honey into a small bowl and set aside.
2. Warm 2 Tbsps Canola oil in an extra large deep frying pan or wok on medium heat.
3. When the pan is hot, add sweet potatoes, broccoli and onions. Stir often until tender, but not overdone.
4. Decrease heat to low and add long hot peppers, split peas, pasta and sauce.
5. Stir until ingredients are warm and evenly distributed.
6. Serve and enjoy!

Makes 4  servings – Eat well!

Mediterranean-inspired Bean and Potato Stir-fry

Mediterranean-inspired Bean and Potato Stir-fry

Snappy, sweet and tangy. this week’s recipe using the Produce Geek‘s picks of the week brings a flavorful combination of shapes, colors and textures together on a single plate. 

I was thrilled to find that green beans, red potatoes and cherry tomatoes made the cut this time around! All are fabulous veggies in their own right, but they’re even better when stir-fried in unison and seasoned with my Mediterranean-style sauce. I chose to also bring red kidney beans into the mix for a vegan-friendly protein boost.

Vegetarian/vegan? Enjoy – this dish is 100% both.

Gluten Conscious? No gluten here! (But be sure to check your vinegar label to make sure you’re in the clear.)

Everyone: Dig in! And subscribe to Eat This Now directly to get the Produce Geek’s expert buying advice every week.

What You’ll Need For the Stir-fry:

First the Produce Geek’s picks…

• Red potatoes – 2 cups, sliced very thin
  

  Raw materials

• Green beans – 6 cups, snapped in half if you like smaller pieces
• Cherry tomatoes (or substitute grape tomatoes) – 15, cut in half

Other ingredients…

• Red kidney beans – 2 cups, cooked
• Olive oil – 1/2 cup (plus 1 Tbsp for prepping the pan)
• Balsamic vinegar – 1/4 cup
• Natural apple juice – 1/4 cup
• Garlic – 2 cloves, minced
• Sea salt – 1/2 tsp
• Sweet basil – 1 tsp
• Course ground black pepper – 3 – 4 grinds from a pepper mill

 Get cooking…

1. Prepare the stir-fry sauce: Whisk together olive oil, balsamic vinegar, apple juice, garlic, basil, sea salt & pepper into a small bowl and set aside.
2. Warm 1 Tbsp olive oil in an extra large deep frying pan or wok on medium heat.
3. When the pan is hot, add red potatoes and green beans. Stir often until tender (to expedite cooking, you can use a lid or aluminum foil intermittently).
4. Decrease heat to low and add tomatoes, kidney beans and sauce.
5. Stir until ingredients are warm and evenly distributed.
6. Serve and enjoy!

Makes 4  servings – Eat well!

Nutty Stir-fried Rice with Spinach, Pear and Sesame Ginger Sauce

Nutty Stir-fried Rice with Spinach, Pear and Sesame Ginger Sauce

At first glance, you might think that this week’s creation has a rather odd combination of ingredients. But I believe that you’ll find this dish to make perfect sense after you taste it.

The Produce Geek‘s picks of the week included walnuts and Anjou pears. Matched up with some spinach, brown rice and my Sesame Ginger sauce, the fruit and nuts go from “oddball ingredients” to “out of this world”. Give it a try! 

Vegetarian/vegan: Enjoy – this dish is 100% both.

Gluten Conscious: No gluten here! (But if using soy sauce instead of Liquid Aminos, be sure you choose a gluten-free brand.)

Everyone: Dig in! And subscribe to Eat This Now directly to get the Produce Geek’s expert buying advice every week.

What You’ll Need For the Stir-fry:

First the Produce Geek’s picks…

• Walnuts – 2 cups, chopped
• Green Anjou Pears – 2 cups, chopped into bite-sized chunks
  

  Raw Materials

Other ingredients…

• Spinach – 12 cups (sounds like a lot, but it shrinks severely when cooked!)
• Brown rice – 2 cups, cooked
• Sesame oil – 1/4 cup
• Canola oil – 1/4 cup
• Apple cider vinegar – 3 Tbsps (preferably raw)
• Honey – 1 Tbsp (preferably raw)
• Liquid Aminos (or soy sauce) – 1 Tbsp
• Fresh Ginger – 1/4 cup, chopped
• Olive oil – 2 Tbsp for prepping pan

 Get cooking…

1. Warm olive oil in an extra large deep frying pan or wok on medium heat.
2. In the meantime, prepare stir-fry sauce:
• Put sesame oil, canola oil, vinegar, Liquid Aminos, ginger & honey in a blender.
• Blend until smooth.
3. When oil in pan is hot, add spinach. Note: add spinach gradually because all 12 cups might not fit in your pan all at once. Stir continuously until all spinach is in the pan.
4. Add walnuts, cooked brown rice and stir-fry sauce. Stir until ingredients are warm and evenly distributed.
5. Turn off heat and add pears. Stir to distribute evenly throughout the pan.
6. Serve and enjoy!

Makes 4  servings – Eat well!

B.S. (not what you think!) Stir-fry with Pinto Beans in Peanut Sauce

B.S. Stir-fry with Pinto Beans in Peanut Sauce

Title catch your attention? Just as I intended! “B.S.” in this case represents something other than what you might have interpreted it to mean.  It stands for two key ingredients in this week’s stir-fry: Brussel Sprouts and Butternut Squash.  Thank you Produce Geek  for choosing produce picks that are not only delicious, but that also allowed me to form a rather clever name for this week’s dish.

 This vegan stir-fry featuring pinto beans has a lot of substance – and a lot of flavor – thanks to the weekly picks that also include Granny Smith apples, and my peanut sauce. Serve over brown or basmati rice if you wish, but I believe you’ll find it perfectly satisfying on its own.

Vegetarian/vegan: Enjoy – this dish is 100% both.

Gluten Conscious: No gluten here! (But if using soy sauce instead of Liquid Aminos, be sure you choose a gluten-free brand.)

Everyone: Dig in! And subscribe to Eat This Now directly to get the Produce Geek’s expert buying advice every week.

What You’ll Need For the Stir-fry:

First the Produce Geek’s picks…

• Brussel sprouts – 6 cups, cut in half
  

  Raw materials for this week's stir-fry

• Butternut squash – 2 cups, chopped into small pieces
• Granny Smith apples – 2 cups, chopped into small pieces

Other ingredients…

• Pinto beans – 2 cups, cooked
• Peanut oil – 1 Tbsp (plus 2 tsps additional for prepping pan)
• Natural peanut butter – 3 Tbsps
• Apple cider vinegar – 2 Tbsps (preferably raw)
• Honey – 2 Tbsp (preferably raw)
• Liquid Aminos (or soy sauce) – 1 Tbsp
• Cayenne pepper – 1/4 tsp
• Garlic – 1 clove, minced
• Brown or basmati rice – 2 cups, cooked (optional)

 Get cooking…

1. Warm 2 tsps peanut oil in an extra large deep frying pan or wok on medium heat.
2. In the meantime, prepare stir-fry sauce: Whisk together remaining peanut oil, peanut butter, apple cider vinegar, liquid aminos, honey, garlic & cayenne pepper in a medium bowl and set aside.
3. When oil in pan is hot, add brussel sprouts & squash. Stir until tender, but not soggy  (approximately 15 minutes).
4. Lower heat to medium-low and add pintos, apples & peanut sauce.
5. Stir until ingredients are warmed and evenly distributed.

Serve all by itself (my favorite way to enjoy it) or over rice.

Makes 4  servings – Eat well!