Broccoli Slaw Stir Fry

Like many of you, I’m always trying to figure out new and exciting ways to add vegetables to my meals. Salads are the easiest, but they get boring after a while (and they’re not really “winter” food anyway). I could always throw a pile of spinach into soup, or scramble an egg with frozen peas and carrots, or roast <insert vegetable name here> for a half-hour and call it a night.

All delicious options, but SNOOZE.

I never ever consider stir-fry when contemplating what to cook for dinner, despite ordering Chinese food at least once a fortnight (prob because I get General Tso’s every time, and with the exception of two sad, limp broccoli florets, there is nary a vegetable on my plate).

It’s a big oversight on my part, since stir-fries are by definition quick and easy (cut, drop, stir) and are entirely composed of vegetables — though of course, you can always add meat, chicken, shrimp or tofu. They’re also infinitely adaptable to what you have in your kitchen, since you can toss in whatever vegetables you have on hand.

Plus, and maybe this is just me, but they’re super exciting: will you add the vegetables in the right order so that everything cooks evenly? Can you stir fast enough? How many burns will you sustain? What about the sauce?!? For someone who is willing to spend an extra half-hour on the treadmill to catch the end of Chopped, a little “Kitchen Stadium” atmosphere at home is always fun.

The most important part of a stir-fry is the prep stage: you should cut all your vegetables before you start cooking, and they should all be the same size so that they cook evenly. I also combined all of my sauce ingredients beforehand, so that I wouldn’t have to bother with measuring spoons and cups while trying to stir a wok full of vegetables. Since I used a bagged broccoli slaw mix and pre-sliced mushrooms, there wasn’t a ton of prep work here — perfect for busy weeknights.

Once you’ve prepped, most of the work for this broccoli slaw stir-fry is done. Just make sure your oil is hot, and then add and stir, add and stir, add and stir until your arm hurts and the vegetables are crisp-tender. Then, pile the stir-fry on rice, maybe add a small piece of chicken or fish (or don’t — you won’t miss it), and relish in the fact that tonight, your vegetables are anything but boring. 

Exciting news! Thanks to a tip from an awesome friend, Reader’s Digest asked me to create a recipe based on their new 21-Day Tummy book, which focuses on digestive health as a way to lose weight. My curried quinoa porridge with spinach (featuring gut-healthy quinoa, spinach, flax seeds, turmeric and ginger) is on their site now!

Broccoli Slaw Stir Fry
Inspired by Skinny Kitchen

– 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce

– 1/4 rice wine vinegar

– 2 tablespoons Sriracha or chili-garlic sauce

– 1 tablespoon canola (or another neutral-flavored) oil

– 2 cloves garlic, grated

– 1 inch fresh ginger, peeled and grated

– 1/2 cup chopped scallions, divided (set some of the chopped greens aside to garnish)

– 1 head broccoli, cut into small florets

– 1 8-ounce package sliced mushrooms

– 1 12-ounce bag broccoli slaw

– 1 red bell pepper, sliced into thin, bite-size strips

– 1/2 cup frozen edamame, thawed

– 2 tablespoons roasted unsalted peanuts

1) In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, rice wine vinegar and Sriracha. Set aside.

2) Heat the oil in a large wok or skillet on high. When the oil is sizzling, add the garlic, ginger and scallions (leaving the greens you have reserved for garnishing). Stir frequently, until they have cooked slightly and become aromatic, 1 minute.

3) Add the broccoli and mushrooms and cook for 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Then add the broccoli slaw, red bell pepper and edamame, and cook for an additional minute.

4) Stir in the soy-Sriracha sauce. Cook for an additional 2 minutes, then remove from the heat. Toss in the chopped peanuts and the reserved scallion greens. Serve with rice.