Stir fried veggie dishes are the kings of “anything goes” cooking. Of course, here in this Cantonese Veggie Stir-Fry from Practically Raw by Amber Shea Crawley, no frying will occur (unless you want it to!), but the results are the same—lots of crisp vegetables, a complex salty-savory sauce, and plenty of fun add-ins, sprinkle-ons, and accoutrements. Play around to your heart’s content.
Cantonese Veggie Stir-Fry
Serves 4
Ingredients
For the veggies:
- 1 large or 2 small heads broccoli, stemmed and broken into florets 1 large or 2 small carrots, peeled if desired and thinly sliced
- 1/2 large red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and sliced
- 6 to 8 shiitake mushrooms, cleaned, stemmed, and sliced
- 1 cup snow peas, ends trimmed, halved diagonally
- 1 small clove garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon minced fresh ginger or 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons tamari
- 1 tablespoon agave nectar
- 1 teaspoon lime juice
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon sriracha hot sauce (optional)
To serve:
- 1 batch Cauliflower “Rice” Pilaf (recipe follows)
- 2 green onions, white and light green parts thinly sliced
- 4 teaspoons sesame seeds, divided
Preparation
For the veggies: In a medium bowl, combine the broccoli, carrot, red pepper, mushrooms, and snow peas. In a small bowl, whisk together the garlic, ginger, olive oil, tamari, agave, lime juice, sesame oil, and sriracha, if using. Pour the sauce over the vegetables and toss to coat well. Add a splash of water if the mixture looks dry.
Make It Raw: Transfer the mixture to a shallow glass pan. Cover and place in the dehydrator to let marinate and warm for 1 to 2 hours before serving. Alternatively, place the bowl of veggies in the fridge overnight to allow the mixture to marinate; serve cold the next day, like leftovers.
Make It Cooked: Transfer the mixture to a large skillet over medium heat. Cook, stirring often, until the mixture is heated through.
To serve: Spoon the stir fry onto mounds of Cauliflower “Rice” Pilaf. Sprinkle each portion with 1/4 of the sliced green onion and 1 teaspoon sesame seeds.
Cauliflower “Rice” Pilaf
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 1/2 large head cauliflower, separated into florets (about 2 1/2 cups)
- 1/4 cup dry almonds
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 cup finely diced carrot (optional)
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro (optional) 1 teaspoon lemon juice
Preparation
Place the cauliflower in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until it breaks down into rice- sized pieces, then transfer to a bowl. Add the almonds and salt to the food processor and pulse until finely ground. Add the crushed almond mixture, carrot, and cilantro to the cauliflower in the bowl. Drizzle on the lemon juice and toss well to combine.
