Sometimes the internet gods are against us. I put together this post last night and gave myself a little pat on the back for being ahead on my to do list, only to wake up this morning and find my post had been mysteriously eaten by the internet. There was no trace of it, not even in my drafts. Is nothing sacred anymore!!!!! Ahhhhh! First world problems, man. They’ll get you every time. I’m pretty sure my fat large boned and dainty cat deleted it by trying to sleep on my lap top. Thanks for that, Mademoiselle Kitty. Not to be defeated, I rallied on and decided to re-write this recipe.

In another life, I must have lived somewhere in Asia. I love the culture, the religions, the people, and especially the food. Fortunately, so many of the dishes are easy to make and incredibly healthy. I can also experiment with tons of vegetarian and vegan options. Um, #WINNING! Yay for me and all other plant eaters out there! Sometimes, it can be fun to play around with complex dishes, but at the end of the day, the most successful meals are the ones that are quick, easy, and healthy. This dish meets all those categories.

Ingredients:

(serves 4)

• 1 bunch of bok choy
• 1 large bunch of broccoli cut into smaller pieces
• snow peas
• garlic cloves sliced into slivers
• spring onions
• bamboo shoots
• water chestnuts
• Thai rice noodles
• soy sauce or Bragg’s amino acid
• sesame oil (can use grape seed or coconut oil instead if you do not prefer the distinct flavor of Sesame seed oil)

Directions:

• Noodles: 25-30 minutes soaking time.
• Prep time: 5-7 minutes
• Saute time: 10-15 minutes

Noodles: Place noodles in a dish large enough for noodles to lay flat, and pour very hot water over them. Let them sit for 25-30 minutes. TIP: don’t boil your noodles. When you soak them, the noodles don’t become overly cooked or limp.

Vegetables: While noodles are soaking, prep veggies and begin sauteing them. Heat wok or pan with sloping edges on med-high heat. Drizzle in sesame oil and saute the broccoli with garlic slivers. Toss in remaining veggies, excluding bok choy.

• Add soy sauce and spritz veggies with sesame oil as you cook. TIP: use oil spray dispenser to get a more even distribution and less calories. 
• Add snow peas last so they remain deliciously crisp and sweet.
• Remove veggies and drain noodles. Toss in the same pan with a dash of sesame oil and soy sauce, and saute noodles until they turn a beautiful golden color. Plate noodles.
• In the same pan, lightly saute bok choy with a bit of soy sauce and sesame oil.
• Layer bok choy over noodles, then pile veggies on top of bok choy.

TIP: do not over saute delicate greens or they’ll wilt. This wilting not only doesn’t look as pretty, but it means you’ve denatured almost all of the vital enzymes of the plant and stripped away many nutrients. Traditional Asian cooking keeps veggies crisp. Avoid the American tendency to overcook veggies so you maintain the integrity of the dish.

Serve hot and enjoy! It taste so good, you won’t believe it’s meatless 🙂 The great thing about this stir fry is that it has endless possibilities, literally. You can add or take out vegetables however you’d like. Red peppers add a beautiful pop of color and hint of sweetness, and mushrooms blend nicely with the other veggies and soak up some delicious sesame flavor. The methods stay the same while the combinations change. The end result: a quick, easy, incredibly nutritious meal. BOOM! That’s how we do it in my home! Much love and have an amazing weekend!