Vegetable Stir-Fry (Mongo-Inspired)

I'm a big fan of those Mongolian restaurants where you can choose all your veggies and noodles (and meat) and concoct your own sauce, and they grill it all up right in front of you. Especially now that I am limiting my meat and dairy intake, a good Mongolian place is one of the few places I can eat at and feel really good about afterwards. (I just leave out the meat and cut back on the noodles.)

Well, it was after a fantastic experience at a Mongolian restaurant that I decided to try to make my own Mongo stir-fry. You can use whatever vegetables you want, but I will list what I use most frequently. The key is to not add the sauce until the very end, so the garlic and ginger still have a strong flavor. We eat this a LOT! Almost weekly. It's a great way to eat tons of vegetables in one sitting. I like to stack my plate more heavily with the vegetables and less with the rice, because the flavor is just so good that I hardly notice how many vegetables I've eaten! Win. :)

Vegetable Stir-Fry
2–4 cups cooked brown rice (however much you want)
1 onion, sliced
1 bell pepper, sliced
1 zucchini, chopped
1 head of cauliflower or broccoli, in bite-sized florets
1 cup mushrooms, chopped
4 cloves fresh garlic, minced (about 1 TBSP)
1 inch of ginger root, peeled and minced (about 1 1/2 TBSP)
3 TBSP soy sauce or tamari (low-sodium if possible)
2 TBSP rice vinegar
1 TBSP tahini (optional)
1 TBSP sesame seed oil
1/4 tsp siracha sauce (if you don't like spicy food, leave this out; if you absolutely love spicy food, double it)
dash of curry powder
dash of red pepper flakes

Heat a few tablespoons of water in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and water sauté for 3 minutes. Add the rest of the vegetables (bell pepper, zucchini, cauliflower, broccoli, and mushrooms) and sauté another 5 or 10 minutes, or until they are as cooked as you desire. Stir frequently, and feel free to add more water if the vegetables begin to stick. (But only add a little at a time, because you don't want to end up with tons of liquid at the bottom when you add the sauce.)

While the vegetables are cooking, mix garlic, ginger, soy sauce, vinegar, tahini, sesame oil, siracha, curry, and red pepper flakes together in a small bowl or cup. When the vegetables are just about done, add the sauce to the skillet and stir in. Cook for 1 minute, until the ginger and garlic are just barely cooked.

Remove from heat and serve over brown rice (you could also serve it over noodles). Salt to taste, and top with additional siracha sauce, if you want. I like it super spicy!

Other vegetables you might add:
shredded carrots
green peas
bean sprouts
eggplant
pineapple (okay, not a vegetable)

It's hard to go wrong!

Potato and Bean Burrito

Back home we have a Mexican restaurant that serves some delicious burritos with potatoes in them that they call Oregon burritos. I don't remember any of the other ingredients, but those potatoes sure made an impact. So here is an Oregon burrito–inspired potato and bean burrito. I hope you like it!

Potato and Bean Burrito
whole grain tortillas
6 oz. bag of frozen potatoes (french fries, Southern hashbrowns, whatever)
2 15-oz. cans of black beans, rinsed and drained (or other beans)
3 bell peppers (any color), sliced
1 jalapeño, seeds removed and sliced
1/2 onion, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
dash of paprika
salt and pepper
salsa
guacamole or chopped avocado

Cook frozen potatoes according to package instructions.

Heat beans in a sauce pan over medium-low heat with enough water to just cover them. Add garlic. (If you want, you can season the beans with additional cumin and chili powder.) Let the beans simmer until you are ready to serve them. It's good if the liquid boils down a bit.

Heat a few tablespoons of water in a frying pan over medium heat. When the water starts sizzling, add the onion and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the bell peppers, jalapeño, cumin, chili powder, paprika, salt, and pepper. Sauté the vegetables until they are tender (about 10 minutes). You will need to add a few tablespoons of water occasionally to keep the vegetables from sticking.

Assemble burritos with equal parts potato, beans, and sautéed vegetables. Top with salsa and guacamole.

Roasted Cauliflower

I used to have a hard time eating cauliflower (euphamism for "I hated it"), but then my mom taught me how to roast it in the oven, and now I love it. So if you're like me, this might be the miracle recipe that gets you to like cauliflower. (Or not. I'm not offended, Warren . . . )

Roasted Cauliflower
1 head of cauliflower, cut into 1-inch florets
extra virgin olive oil
dried basil (or oregano or rosemary or italian seasoning—whatever you like best)
salt

Preheat the oven to 400° F. Cover a baking sheet with foil. Lay out the cauliflower in a single layer. Drizzle with olive oil and season with basil and salt. Mix the cauliflower around on the tray until everything is coated.

Bake for 25–30 minutes or until tender on the inside but a little crispy on the edges.

Pretty simple, but yummy.

Stuffed Anaheim Peppers

Really, the guacamole is what makes this recipe work, so make sure you have a good guacamole recipe on hand. As you can see from the photo, I believe in slathering it on. :)

Stuffed Anaheim Peppers (serves 2)
Stuffed peppers:
4–5 Anaheim peppers (about 8 inches in length)
1 cup cooked brown rice
1 cup black beans
1/3 cup salsa (homemade is better than store bought)
salt and pepper

Toppings:
1 roma tomato, diced
2 TBSP pickled jalapeños (optional)
guacamole or diced avocado
more salsa

Preheat oven to 400° F. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.

Cut the ends off the Anaheim peppers, and then cut them in half the long way. Remove seeds. Put peppers in boiling water for about 5 minutes. Then drain and rinse in cool water. Shake as much water out of them as you can.

Cover a baking sheet in foil, and lay out the peppers. Mix together your stuffing ingredients (rice, beans, and salsa) in a bowl and stuff the pepper halves to the brim. Cover the peppers with another sheet of foil and place in preheated oven.

Cook for 15 minutes, then remove the foil and broil for 5 minutes. But watch them closely!

Then serve them with the toppings listed or your own favorite toppings. (Other ideas: cilantro, olives, green onions, hot sauce, cilantro lime dressing)
Inspired by Land O Lakes