Healthy Eating Series: Italian Veggie Stir-fry
by Lynn S. Karant, Business Manager of The Medicine Shoppe
It is my turn to share a recipe for our healthy eating series. Our family has made a conscious choice over the past year and a half to try to eat healthier. For us that meant cutting back to whole grains, eating more fruits, vegetables and nuts, eating more chicken and fish, and less beef (and the added benefit was that we all lost weight – woo-hoo!).
One of our family favorites is any kind of stir-fry, because it keeps in all the good vitamins and nutrients, and some of the veggies are still quite crunchy (but you can cook a little longer if you like them softer). The beauty of the stir-fry is that you can use whatever veggies you have on hand. On Sunday afternoon last, I stir-fried up a whole pot full of veggies fresh from our garden, as you can see from the picture. Here is the basic recipe (you will note that I don’t specify amount – because that is up to you):
VEGETABLES:
Zucchini (sliced thin))
Yellow Squash (sliced thin)
Sweet Bell Peppers (any colors)
Onions (chopped or sliced)
Scallions (sliced)
String Beans (cut or whole)
Snow Peas
Tomatoes (sliced)
Carrots (sliced or in strips)
Broccoli (florets cut into bite sized pieces)
(You can add any other veggies you like…garlic, mushrooms, cucumbers, etc.)
SEASONING:
Oregano, Basil, Thyme, Parsley,
Chives, (which came from our herb garden) Salt and Pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS:
Add about 2 T. of olive oil to the wok (over medium heat) and saute the onions, scallions, garlic, mushrooms first. Add vegetables by hardest first (carrots, then beans and peas, then broccoli, squash, peppers, etc. and last tomatoes). The colors will brighten as they steam…cook until the texture is to your liking. At the last minute add about 1/4 cup of grated parmesan cheese. Make sure you stir constantly so nothing burns.
If you want to make it a great one dish meal, then cook boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into strips along with the onions on the first step. Add some fully cooked rice (brown and wild rice is our favorite) or orzo, or another favorite fully cooked pasta (thin egg noodles are good too) right before you throw in the tomatoes, and increase the seasonings and parmesan cheese slightly.
Hope you enjoy this as much as the Karant family does!
