Inspiration
This delicious vegan stir-fry uses kale, tofu, mushrooms, tahini and tumeric. It is a quick and easy 30 minute family friendly recipe that takes me back to my roots. My mom didn’t eat any meat other than seafood; as a result we were raised as pescatarians during the 80’s and 90’s. A time when it wasn’t normal to have food preferences.
Instead of oohs and ahhs, people always gave eewws and whatchamacallit’s at my lunch box. The concept of respecting others food is inconceivable in elementary school when kids are still honest, and purposely forgotten in middle school.
Vegetarian options were often unavailable, and you were expected to just pick the pepperoni off the pizza. Rough times people, rough times.
Many years later, I realized just how Joan Jetson my mom really was . A freaking food super hero! Making seitan from scratch, whipping up oven baked BBQ tofu, breast feeding and living a green lifestyle on a single woman’s income, nothing short of incredible.
Fast forward to today where no one bats an eye if you are vegan, vegetarian, ovo-lacto-pesco or even allergic to dung beetles. The letters in the alphabet provide endless opportunities for self-identification creativity and so do today’s menus.
Going away to college provided an increased exposure to many different cultures and cuisines. My desire to experience culinary diversity led me down a delightful, carnivorous path consequently stamping out 20 years of pescatarianism.
I enjoy meat but vegetables are still my BFF and in heavy rotation. Most recently, my daughter decided she no longer wanted to hurt animals and therefore didn’t want to eat meat. The hardest part is making sure her diet is balanced. How do we find healthy protein substitutes that are still full of nutritionally substantial and not overly processed? Thus far, her main sources of protein are beans, tofu, seitan, nuts and eggs. This vegan stir-fry recipe answers the call for nutrition and includes a few favorite indulgences: tofu, nuts, greens and mushrooms. In creating this customizable family friendly dish, it t is my hope that you enjoy and enhance on this vegan stir-fry recipe by making it your own.
Vegan Stir-Fry Recipe Ingredients
Total time to prepare: 10 minutes
Time to cook: 20 minutes
1 bunch of kale stems removed and chopped
14 oz of extra firm tofu drained and blotted with a towel to remove extra moisture
1 tbsp of kosher salt toss, 1 tbsp red pepper flakes, 1 tbsp of cornstarch tossed with tofu
6 baby Bella mushrooms
½ bell pepper color of choice, I used orange
2 celery stalks
8 baby cut carrots sliced
3 garlic cloves minced or pressed with garlic press
1 medium yellow onion sliced
2 tbsp tahini
1 frozen knob of ginger
¼ tsp turmeric
1 tsp cumin
¼ tsp nutmeg
1 tsp dried parsley
½ tsp all spice
1 tsp paprika
1 teaspoon of sesame seeds
3 tbsp canola oil
2 – 3 cups of precooked quinoa
Cooking instructions
Toss red pepper, kosher salt and cornstarch with tofu allow to sit while you prepare other ingredients
Mix remaining spices in a bowl
Preheat oil in wok or stir-fry pan over medium heat
Grate ginger directly into the pot (I utilize a Microplane) , add garlic and onions, continue to cook for two to three minutes
I love the microplane!
Add mushrooms, bell pepper, celery, carrots and stir. Cook for three minutes
After, put kale into the pot. Toss the kale with the veggie mixture.
Cook the kale until it starts to turn a darker green and shrink down.
Next add the tofu to the pot and toss with the ingredients
Now it is time to add in the turmeric, cumin, nutmeg, parsley, allspice and paprika
Stir everything in well allowing it to cook for another five minutes.
Add in the tahini and sesame seeds stir in and cook for another three minutes
Enjoy the stir fry over quinoa, rice or in a whole wheat pita
Feel free to sprinkle additional sesame seeds over the vegan stir-fry before eating
Bon appetit!
What are some of your favorite vegan stir-fry ingredients?
