Dinner Time: Winter Vegetable Stir-Fry
I love sweet potatoes (more flavorful and more nutrients than white potatoes) and I also love making stir-fry (you can throw almost any meat/veggie combo into a stir-fry and it works out… hopefully.). One night, I decided to try out sweet potatoes in a stir-fry, but made a version that is perfect for the cold winter months. Bacon and maple syrup, anyone?
Winter Vegetable Stir-Fry
(adapted from “Basic Stir-Fry” Recipe, The Kitchen Companion, by Polly Clingerman)
For stir-fry:
2–3 large sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1/2″ cubes
1 bunch of kale, collards, spinach, or other leafy green, stemmed and chopped
1 cup of other veggies (carrots, mushrooms, etc.)
1–2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 clove of garlic, minced
2 tsp–1 Tbsp of ginger, minced
1 tsp sesame seed oil
For sauce:
1/2 cup of chicken/veggie stock or water
1 Tbsp of soy sauce
1 Tbsp of maple syrup
1 tsp of dijon mustard
2 tsp of cornstarch
1 Tbsp of sherry
Directions:
- Mix minced garlic, minced ginger, and sesame seed oil in a small bowl. Also wisk together all the sauce ingredients and set aside.
- Heat 1 Tbsp of oil in a non-stick pan or wok over medium-high heat. Add sweet potatoes and other larger-cooking veggies (ex: broccoli, celery, onion, etc.). Cook for about 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add other vegetables according to cooking time:
Group 1: Cauliflower, green onion (total cooking time: 3-4 minutes)
Group 2: Red/green onion, squash (total cooking time: 2-3 minutes)
Group 3: Leafy greens, Bean sprouts, cabbage, mushrooms, pea pods, tomatoes (total cooking time: 1-2 minutes)
(Tip: add a bit of water or stock to help stemmed the veggies if they are getting brown too fast.) - Move veggies to outer edge of pan and add the garlic/ginger/sesame seed oil mix into the center of the pan and saute for 30 seconds, until fragrant, but not burned! Stir mixture with veggies and add the sauce mix to the pan. Stir occasionally for 1-2 minutes until sauce thickens.
- Serve over hot rice and garnish with good, crispy bacon pieces. Can also be made with stir-fried/baked tofu or chicken.
Serves 4-6.