Almond Butter Stir Fry
Written by Rachel, Posted in Dairy-Free, Dinner, Fruit, Gluten Free, Herbs, Lunch, Main Dishes, Nuts, One Dish Dinners, Pasta, Quick and Easy, Quinoa, Rice, Sides, Vegetables, Vegetarian
Stir Fry is one of those dishes that’s packed with flavor, nutrients, and is ready in a flash. Perfect for those tired nights when you don’t know what to make for dinner.
There’s just something about the colorful veggies. Purple cauliflower, bright orange carrots, green broccoli… they’re such happy and friendly colors. You could totally switch up the veggies depending on what you’ve got on hand and what’s in season. Sugar snap peas, bell peppers, onions, and green beans would all be fabulous.
I like to add nut butters to bump up the protein in a dish, especially if I’m opting to keep it vegetarian (which I did for this dish, but you could definitely add meat, or keep it vegetarian and add some pan fried tofu). Also, I just like the taste. Today I used almond butter. It’s not quite as in your face as peanut butter is, yet it still brings the same nutty yumminess.
The sauce is whisked together before the veggies go in to the wok. Since they are cooked over fairly high heat, stirred almost constantly, and cook quickly, I don’t want to take chances with anyone burning while I whisk up the sauce.
They cook so fast that the veggies still retain their bright, beautiful colors.
Sauce is added and will just cook for a minute or two.
I like to toss the noodles (or rice or quinoa) with the veggies and sauce. That way I can make sure that they all get nice and coated.
And then it’s ready to be topped with almonds and some lemon juice. You could absolutely add chopped green onions, sesame seeds, and cilantro too.
I like using rice noodles with Stir Fry. Some don’t even require any cooking – they just warm up in a bowl of hot water. They stand up great to re-heating the next day too. Rice or quinoa – also great. Or how about fried rice? Yum! Or, how about rice noodles with a fried egg on top?! Now we’re talking… Of course it was great just the way I made it – topped with almonds and a good squeeze of lemon.
Happy Eating!
Ingredients
- 1/4 C almond butter
- 1 t honey
- 3 T to 1/4 C water
- 2 T lemon juice
- 1/2 to 1 T liquid aminos (or GF soy sauce)
- 1/8 t ground ginger
- 1/8 t ground coriander
- pinch cayenne
- 2 T olive oil
- 1-2 C broccoli, bite sized pieces
- 1-2 C cauliflower, bite sized pieces
- 1 C carrots (or celery), sliced on a bias
- (sugar snap peas, bell peppers, onions, green beans would also be great)
- to taste salt
- to taste pepper
- 1-2 C greens (or cabbage), chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, diced
- lemon slices, for serving
- almonds, chopped, for serving
- rice noodles, rice, or quinoa, for serving
- fresh herbs (chives, cilantro) (optional), chopped, for serving
Instructions
- (Optional: Cook rice or quinoa, if serving one of those with the dish. Cook a protein, if desired.)
- Whisk together almond butter through cayenne. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
- (If using rice noodles, follow instructions on package and cook/warm now.) Heat a wok or large skillet over medium or medium-high heat. Add oil. When oil is hot, add broccoli through pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring almost constantly. Add greens and garlic, cook for 1-2 minutes more. Stir in the sauce and cook for 1-2 minutes more. (Optional) Toss with rice/quinoa/rice noodles if desired and cook for 1 minute more.
- Serve topped with a squeeze of lemon and almonds, and fresh herbs, if desired.