Quick and Easy Stir Fry

Lately I have been making a lot of stir fry. It's a great meal for when you have no idea what to make, it's inexpensive, and it can be very healthy. Now, I say it can be healthy, because a lot of stir fry recipes call for cooking the vegetables in oil or butter for a while. I used to do that, but lately I have been steaming my vegetables and find that the stir fry's turn out just as good. This stir fry is hardly an exact recipe. Whatever vegetables I have I use. I usually have brocoli and carrots on hand, so sometimes I just do a brocoli and carrot stir fry. But if I plan ahead I will grab zucchini, green onions, and peppers. Bok choy would be a great addition as well. I used to serve my vegis over brown rice, but lately I have been serving them over quinoa which I like better because it takes less time to cook and it's better for you. So like I said, this isn't an exact recipe but I will give you the jist as to what I do for my quick and easy stir fry meal:)

For the Sauce:
3 T. soy sauce (low sodium if you have it)
1 T. corn starch
1/4 c. water
1 T. honey (this is optional, but I like to add it to give it a little sweetness)

mix and set aside.

Steam assortment of vegies. I usually steam over a cup of vegies per person. You could do more or less if you like. I steam my vegies for about 10 minutes, I like them to remain a little crunchy. After vegies are steamed transfer them to a pan with just a tsp of olive oil, and sautee for just a minute (this step is optional, I like to do it because it sears the vegis a little which I like). Toss in the sauce and green onions if you have them (I like alot of green onions, about half a cup) Cook until sauce thickens. Serve over rice or quinoa.

Note: The sauce makes a lot, you could probably get 4 servings out of it. You could also toss in some chicken if you wanted, but quinoa is a good source of protein so this really is a nicely balanced meal.

Keen What?

Up until about a month ago, I had never heard of quinoa. Most of you probably already know what it is, but for those who don't:

Quinoa (KEEN-WAH) is the most nutritious of all grains. It's high in fiber, a good source of Iron, and has all eight essential amino acids! Technically quinoa is not a true grain, but is the seed of a plant. It is used as a grain or grain substitute because of it's cooking characteristics.

Now that you know how good it is for you, try this delicious recipe. It's quick and easy to make, and a good introduction to quinoa if you haven't tried it before.

I have had this for lunch everyday for the past week and a half, and I am not sick of it yet! I like to add a clove of crushed garlic to the dressing because everything is better with a little garlic, right? I also add blanched broccoli or asparagus for a more filling meal. It’s also great over a bed of greens for a yummy salad.

Herbed Quinoa

by Giada De Laurnentiis

• 2 3/4 cups low-sodium chicken stock
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 1/2 cups quinoa

Dressing:

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 3/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
• 2 teaspoons lemon zest
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the quinoa: In a medium saucepan, add the chicken stock, lemon juice and quinoa. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover the pan and cook until all the liquid is absorbed, about 12 to 15 minutes.

For the dressing: In a small bowl, mix together the olive oil, lemon juice, basil, parsley, thyme, and lemon zest. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Pour the dressing over the quinoa and toss until all the ingredients are coated. Transfer the quinoa to a bowl. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and serve.