Stir fry Vegetables with Peanut Drizzle and Basmati

Dr John likes stir-fry with peanut sauce. Sooo on Fathers Day 2023 he just marched into the kitchen and prepared this stir-fry triumph with whatever was available in the refrigerator.
Makes: about 2 large servings
Prep and Cook time: 30 minutes

Stir-fry Ingredients
  • 1cup dry brown basmati rice- cook on stove or in an instant pot pressure cooker
  • ¼ cup water and more- as needed for sautéing vegetables
  • ½ large onion- loosely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic- minced [or 1 tsp pre-minced]
  • ½ large red bell pepper- narrow sliced
  • ½ green bell pepper- narrow sliced
  • 1 small- medium bok choy- large chopped [about 2 ½ cups]
  • 2 to 3 white button mushrooms- rinsed and sliced
  • 1 tsp sesame or olive oil (Optional)
  • 2 sprays [about 1 tsp] low sodium soy sauce
  • 1 6”-7” piece of dried papaya- diced about 1/3 to ½ cup?
Peanut Sauce:

Find a simple peanut sauce recipe from FoodRevolution.org, KathysVeganKitchen.com, or ShaneAndSimple.com; or, you may find a Peanut Sauce recipe on our Client Portal in the Sauce and Spreads folder.

Instructions:
  1. Place Basmati Rice in a medium saucepan or Pressure and make your rice keep keep warm for serving.
  2. Prepare the Sauce:
    Whisk together sauce ingredients and set aside. It is to drizzle on the stir-fry when serving. See recipe below.
  3. Make the sir-fry
    1. Pre slice and dice all of the stir-fry ingredients in preparing to make this dish.
    2. Place ¼ cup of water in a large preheated pot or wok.
    3. When the water bubbles add the diced onion and minced garlic. Sauté at medium- high heat for 2 minutes or until onions are translucent. periodically. Add a splash of water ifneed to prevent sticking.
    4. Add the sliced and diced vegetables [not the oil or papaya yet]. Sauté about 6 minutes stirring regularly. Add 2 tbsp or more water at any time while cooking to prevent veggies from sticking to the pan.
    5. Add the soy sauce and the 1 tsp of sesame oil, if using for flavoring.
    6. Add the diced dried papaya, mix well, and cook another 2 minutes.
Serving Suggestions

Serve stir-fry in individual bowls side by side with your basmati rice. You may serve this bowl with a side salad as well if you like with a plant based no or low- oil dressing.
Drizzle a little peanut sauce over each bowl.
You might expand this meal to include some cooked kidney, pinto, or black beans as well.

Peanut Sauce

Adapted from the original posted on The Food Revolution Network. It has been rewritten and altered by Dr John

Ingredients:
  • 1/4 cup peanut butter smooth or crunchy
  • 1 Tbsp reduced sodium tamari, reduced sodium soy sauce, or coconut aminos
  • 1 Tbsp vegan worchestershire such (or another Tbsp of the above instead.
  • 1 Tbsp pure maple syrup or molasses or half and half
  • 1 Tbsp rice vinegar or apple sider vinegar
  • 2 Tbsp ginger fresh minced or grated; or use 1 1/2 tsp ground ginger.
  • 2 tsp tahini [sesame seed paste]
  • 2 Tbsp lime juice [juice of 1 lime]
  • 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes or 1 tsp of a red pepper paste like
  • Sambal Oelek or other favorite hot sauce (Optional)
  • 1 or more Tbsp water
Instructions:
  1. Whisk all ingredients together in a bowl. You might microwave for 30 seconds to make mixing in easier.
  2. If the sauce seems too thick whisk in a couple of Tbsp of water so that you may drizzle it on the bowls when serving.
  3. Use now or keep in the fridge for a day before. It will keep in the fridge for a week

Serving: Mix some sauce directly on your vegie-grain bowl, or this peanut sauce may be used as a sauce on veggies for any meal.

Notes:

Sodium:

Many clients need to drastically reduce sodium intake. It can make a big difference in decreasing or eliminating hypertension or heart failure as examples. Substituting low salt soy sauce and tamari, may help a little. There is even less sodium in coconut aminos.  Certain brands of vegan Worcestershire sauce have as little as 40mg in each tsp.

Caution:

People with established Heart Disease, Atherosclerosis, previous Stents, Bypass procedures, or who have Diabetes, are advised to be cautious about added fats, even plant-based oils. These include: Nuts, Tahini, and Avocado. Use dressings as flavorings only.

Use dressings and sauces sparingly. You may also add a little Balsamic Vinegar, Brown Mustard, or Salsa to your salad for additional flavor and enjoyment. These “stretch” the dressing; and you use less oil😊.