Wow am I tired. The busy doesn't ever seem to end, and I know I'm not the only one who feel that way. Days fly by, work never seems to end, and suddenly it's time to cook a meal. The last thing you want is something that will stretch your brainwaves too far or take half the evening, but at the same time you don't want junk food. Enter stir-fries.
Sometimes as a teenager my family would eat stir-fry for dinner. Frozen vegetables and tofu. Just about the only frozen vegetables I can bring myself to eat now are peas and ice cream (yes, I just said that). I didn't realise the difference a fresh vegetable could make, and it took me many years before I'd set foot near a stir-fried meal again.
Recipe notes
This one is very simple, quick to prepare (my problem is sucking at writing cooking directions, but don't let the wordiness fool you into think it's tricky), and incredibly yummy. My husband is nost a fan of broccoli and he inhaled it ("it has to either be raw or barely cooked and hot," he says). Other vegetables would suit this dish also- think mushrooms, flat beans, maybe not ice cream.
Give yourself about 30 minutes to prepare, but you could cut that down to ten if you eliminate the roasted sweet potato and go for noodles instead of rice.
Coconut Rice with Lemon-Agave Stir-Fry
- Directions/Method
- First preheat the oven to 200C (400F) and then start the rice. Be sure to follow the instructions given for the rice you're using. For a basic brown rice, the cooking time should be about 30 minutes and the quantities provided above will be accurate. Adjust liquid content as needed, using a similar ratio of stock to coconut milk. To cook add to saucepan and simmer, covered, on low.
- Cut the sweet potato into thick chips and toss in the tablespoon of oil. Once the oven is pre-heated, bake for 20-30 minutes, or until the sweet potato is just browning around the edges.
- While the sweet potato is cooking, prepare the vegetables for the stir fry. Cut the broccoli heads into small-ish pieces, the courgette into 2-3 inch batons, and the onion into ¼ inch slices.
- In a small bowl mix the lemon juice, agave, soy sauce, and chili (if using). If you don't have agave you can also use regular sugar, but be sure it dissolves evenly in the lemon juice.
- Heat your wok until near smoking and add a couple tablespoons of oil. Add the broccoli and stir-fry about one minute before adding the courgette and onion. Fry for another 3-4 minutes before turning the heat down a little and adding the garlic and ginger. Stir fry a further 20-30 seconds and finally add the lemon-agave sauce.
- Serve the stir-fry on a bed of the coconut rice, arranged with the roasted sweet potato chips, and enjoy while steaming hot!