Coconut Soy Stir Fry

This colorful meal is a perfect weeknight dinner; the simple elegance of the sauce contrasted with street-food style ease and hearty vegetables, combine into a cravable aroma filling the air and an easy, balanced meal. 

Growing up vegetarian, vegetables have always been the main content of my diet. That translated into a large assortment of salads, dull and lifeless salads. When making stereotypical stir fry, the bottled sauces were jam-packed with preservatives and unnecessary sodium that make otherwise healthy meals, walk the line bordering healthiness. Trying to find a delicious and healthy way to have my veggies, I started to experiment with different combinations of flavors while cooking. Mixing the sweetness of the brown sugar and coconut, with the savory soy sauce created the perfect balance. While it’s simple, it is a welcoming and fresh taste that compliments vegetables extraordinarily.

The perfect part about this recipe is the timing; all it takes is to prepare some veggies and throw them in a pan, and there are no extra steps that make it complicated and time-consuming. And, you can get all your veggies in a deliciously balanced meal, without the heavy preservatives of a jarred sauce, weighing on your digestive system. 

This is a staple meal and the perfect weeknight dinner when you have a busy night, or even a fun and quick dinner for a movie night when you want to spend more time with your friends than cooking in the kitchen. I like to make this meal when I have lots of homework to do, especially after a long day of school, sports, and all of the other random time-sucks that raid my schedule, because I know that I am nurturing my body and won’t have to spend long preparing it. 

 Serving Size: 2 Time: 30 min max

Ingredients

  • Vegetables of choice (enough to fill a medium-sized frying pan), recommended: carrots, zucchini, broccoli, yellow squash, bell peppers

  • 1/2 block of Tofu or meat of choice - however much you desire

  • 1/3 cup coconut shavings

  • 2 tbs brown sugar

  • 5 tbs soy sauce

  • 1 tbs white rice vinegar

  • 3tbs coconut oil

  • 4 tbs coconut milk or milk of choice

  • peanuts (optional)

 

  1.  Slice vegetables and tofu into bite-sized pieces

  2. In a large frying pan, add coconut oil and bring to medium heat

  3. Add tofu or meat of choice into the pan to cook first. Cook until the tofu is golden brown with a bit of crisp

  4. Add in the vegetables that take longer to cook such as carrot, zucchini, and broccoli, and let simmer for 4-6 minutes, or until they are cooked

  5. Add in the rest of the vegetables and let simmer for a couple more minutes, (you may need to add more oil)

  6. Once all vegetables are basically done cooking, brink to low heat and add coconut shavings, brown sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, and milk

  7. Stir well and bring heat to a simmer for about 3-4 minutes, when the sauce starts to thicken

  8. Add peanuts and extra coconut shavings if desired

  9. Enjoy over rice or just plain!

 Tips-n-Tricks!

  • When using vegetables like broccoli or cauliflower, it may be best to steam them before adding them to the stir fry to make sure they are thoroughly cooked through.

  • When you’re adding a protein source other than tofu, such as chicken, cook in a way that ensures it is cooked 100%; this may be different than the directions suggest