Recipe: Asian Inspired Stirfry

Is it just me, or is time passing by really quickly? I can’t believe that we’re almost in the middle of May! I feel like I blinked and the year is nearly half over. But, a lot of great things have been accomplished so far this year (like going to Florida for a work conference, making it through my first Bikram class after a hiatus for more than a year, and finding an awesome room mate) so really, there’s no need for me to complain.

The only real thing I have to complain about are my allergies. Those damn dandelions that grow on every inch of land in my neighbourhood are dying and thus, their white little fluffiness is flying around everywhere. Granted, since I’ve started eating better they aren’t as severe as before. Still, I wake up in the morning feeling groggy and exhausted. Sometimes it takes me a minute to remember whether or not I went out drinking the night before or not. Yeah, it’s that bad.

Today’s post isn’t about allergies or amazing trips to Florida, it’s about making a kick-ass stir fry! Last week, I shared with you a recipe for a Thai inspired stir fry and this week, I’m raising the bar with this little diddy,  an Asian inspired stir fry with homemade tereyaki sauce. You’re welcome!

Maybe even hearing the word “home made” is making you cringe. Are you conjuring up images of an old 1950’s house wife slaving away in her kitchen for hours? Don’t. This recipe is super easy and super delicious. Not only that, but you know exactly what you’re putting into your sauce.

Ginger is key for this recipe. It adds a bit of heat and just enough zing to make your mouth water for more. You can even use it as  marinade for chicken or beef. I wish I thought of that before! But it’s still amazing either way.

Ingredients – The Sauce:

• 1/4 cup of Bragg’s Liquid Aminos
• 1/8 cup of apple cider vinegar
• 1/4″ piece of fresh ginger, peeled and minced (or grated)
• 3 tbsp of agave or honey
• 1 to 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup of water
• 1 tsp of corn starch

Method:

Combine all of the ingredients, except for the cornstarch, in a small sauce pan.

Cook on medium heat and stir rapidly with a whisk until the mixture has boiled (about 3 minutes or so).

Then, add the cornstarch and mix it in until the liquid thickens. Voila, done!

This was so simple, it wasn’t even funny. Or was it?

Add to your stir fry or use as a marinade for meats.

For my stir fry, I used water chestnuts, carrots, broccoli, green onion and chilli flakes to add some heat. I had some leftover quinoa so I mixed that in with my stir fry. Delicious!

Enjoy!

Recipe: Asaparagus with Lemon and Garlic

What a busy week! Between work, exercising, errands, cooking, writing, socializing, cleaning, commuting, reading and sleeping, I’m spent by Friday. I’m tired just writing this!

If your weeks are anything like mine and even if they’re not (who am I kidding?) you’ll be excited for this recipe. It’s easy and ready within 20 minutes – a fantastic side to any sort of meat dish, too!

Asparagus is great, especially when you buy it fresh. According to this website, here are 8 benefits:

1. can detoxify our system
2. has anti-aging functions
3. is considered an aphrodisiac
4. can protect against cancer
5. reduces pain and inflammation
6. can prevent osteoporosis and osteoarthritis
7. reduces the risk of heart disease
8. can help prevent birth defects

Not too shabby, eh? Since it’s an aphrodisiac, why not load up on this super food with someone special and reap the benefits together. I have to say, asparagus combined with garlic will be the newest power couple in the veggie world. Not only will this make one excellent dish but it’s good for your health, too!

Ingredients:

• Asparagus (cut ends off and then cut in half)
• 2 tbsp of butter (organic, unsalted) – melted
• 1 clove garlic – chopped
• Juice of half a lemon
• 1/4 tsp paprika
• 1/4 tsp thyme
• Chili powder to taste
• Sea salt to taste
• Black pepper to taste

Method:

Pre-heat your oven to 350F. Wash and cut the asparagus (make sure you cut those ends off and discard).

Place in a medium-sized baking dish.

In  small bowl, mix the lemon juice, melted butter, spices and garlic (use a whisk if you have one or a fork if you don’t).

Drizzle over the asparagus and cover the dish with tinfoil (shiny side down).

Bake for 15 minutes.

At the half way mark, turn the asparagus using tongs.

Serve as a side dish!

I served mine with coconut chicken (inspired from Thursday’s recipe) mixed with quinoa.

TIP! Combine this GLORIOUS juice with some cornstarch (just add a little at a time until it thickens) in a separate bowl and drizzle over your asparagus.

Serves 2

Cooking time:

Prep: 5 minutes

Baking: 15

Enjoy!

Stay tuned for my next post where I talk about ginger!

Benefits of Garlic – Look out, Edward Cullen!

The first spice I’d like talk about, and this can be fresh or powdered, is garlic.

Garlic isn’t just for vampires, it boasts quite a  few health benefits:

• Cardiovascular benefits
• Anti-inflammatory
• Antibacterial and antiviral (fights bacterial infections like candida and viruses like the common cold)
• Aids in increasing your iron metabolism
• Immune system booster
• Blood thinner
• Contains Vitamin A, Vitamin C and Selenium.

All the more reason to load up! Garlic is versatile and can be added to many recipes including sauces, stir fries, meat dishes, etc.

According to Science Daily:

“Researchers have widely believed that the organic compound, allicin – which gives garlic its aroma and flavour – acts as the world’s most powerful antioxidant.”

Is fresh better than dry? Honestly, I’m not sure. There are pros and cons to both. According to Live Strong’s website, powder is just as powerful as fresh. Plus, powder is easy to store and never really goes bad. The only real difference that I can surmise is that garlic powder tends to be sweeter than fresh garlic and can be used more easily as a seasoning. It all depends on what your preference is.

Personally, I prefer fresh over powder because I tend to believe that the fresher the ingredients, the better.

Tell us, what’s your favourite garlic dish?

Stay tuned for my Thai inspired recipe using this wonder spice!

Variety is the Spice of Life!

How many times have you read a recipe and thought, “I have NO IDEA what that spice is (or how to pronounce it) let alone how it will taste?” or “When will I ever use this spice again?” I have.

Before last year when I started my health make-over, I didn’t even own a spice rack! I was so intimidated by spices that if I didn’t recognize one or already have it I would deliberately omit it from the recipe. It’s like saying, “I don’t know what interest vs principle means, so I won’t bother trying to figure that out and I’ll just keep paying the minimum payment.” Imagine? Wait, don’t.

This month, I’m going to try to help take the mystery out of some spices that are not only common but should be added to your dishes frequently. Why? Mainly because not only do they add a punch of flavour but they happen to be very good for you!

Spices are great (and important) because they can turn any basic meal from ordinary to extraordinary!

The spices discussed will be: garlic, ginger, coriander, and turmeric. I consider these to be some of the essential spices.

My plan for the month of May is to demystify them by sharing with you some of their benefits and giving you some recipes to incorporate them in.

There are many others that I wanted to discuss but I wanted to start with these since they are on my top 10 list (yes, I actually have a top 10 list and anyone who knew me in my 20s would be shocked that am this in love with cooking and no longer in a passive-agressive realationship with Dominoes pizza!).

Don’t worry, I promise to do another Spice Month soon to discuss the other six spices that I deem essential and/or amazing.

Stay tuned!

First up: Garlic.

PS: Tell us, what is your  favourite spice?

PPS: What spice would you bring with you on a desert island?