Vegetable Stir Fry

This is more of a method than a recipe, because I never make this exactly the same way twice. The end result is a main dish full of vegetables that is always hearty and delicious, and that can be as fancy or as frugal as you want it to be, depending on the ingredients you use. I vary the vegetables according to what I have available. During the summer I use mostly fresh vegetables. When the price of fresh vegetables is high I use mostly frozen vegetables. I suppose this dish could also be made with canned vegetables, but I don’t think the depth of flavor would be the same because the flavor comes from all the vegetables cooking together with the onions and peppers. We don’t eat many canned vegetables anyway… we much prefer the taste and texture of frozen vegetables.

I always start out with sliced or diced onions, peppers, carrots, and celery, sometimes fresh garlic, seasoned with salt and pepper and sauteed in a small amount of olive oil. If I’m using fresh meat, I add thin slices of the raw meat now and saute everything together until the meat has cooked through. We like lots of onions, but we don’t like them when they’re half-cooked and crunchy, so I make sure the onions have cooked thoroughly too. I always drain the cooked meat, onions, peppers, celery, and carrots in a collander over a dish for several minutes to remove any excess fat from the meat or olive oil left from the sauteing.

I return those vegetables back to the pan. Next I add more vegetables and season again with salt and pepper. We like broccoli, cauliflower, green or wax beans, zucchini or yellow summer squash the best, and the bags of vegetable combos are especially nice to use. If I’m going to add corn or any other vegetable that cooks quickly, I add it at the end, after all the other vegetables are nearly cooked.

Technically, this method is not stir frying because the temperature I use is not as high and the vegetables are cooked beyond the crunchy stage. Since the cooking temperature is lower, the moisture from the vegetables combines to make a thin, extremely flavorful sauce. If I’m adding already-cooked meat, I add small chunks or slices of the meat at this point. Then I thicken the sauce with corn starch or a roux.

Sometimes I keep this meat-free and add chick peas, various types of mushrooms, or cooked dried beans instead of the meat. We love this hearty and delicious dish served over rice or pasta. It tastes so good, no one realizes it’s also very good for you!

Filed Under Cooking & Baking from Scratch, Family Favorite Recipes, Frugality