Friday, May 11, 2012

Brown and Wild Rice with Quinoa Vegetable Stir Fry

It really is a wonder that I haven't yet done a post about broccoli- a vegetable that never lasts long in our household.  I am absolutely cuckoo for it.  Want to know what else I'm cuckoo for?  This stuff:



Although I never would have imagined I would be.  When my husband brought it home one day, stating that it looked like "one of those weird things you vegetarians like," I was sure I would hate it.  But it's wonderful, saves so much time, isn't too terribly expensive, and added a lovely rich flavor to this stir fry that even he loved.




Brown and Wild Rice with Quinoa Vegetable Stir Fry

Yield: 4 servings

1/2 - 1 cup salted cashews (I prefer a full cup- adds a nice nuttiness and texture)
2 cups broccoli, separated into florets
olive oil
1/4 cup vegetable broth
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
1/4 green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 carrot, peeled and shredded
2 green onions, chopped (keep whites separated from dark green)
dash sriracha 
2 packages brown and wild rice with quinoa, cooked according to package
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
1/2 inch ginger, peeled and minced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste

Toast cashews in medium sized frying pan with no oil over medium heat for just a minute or two until fragrant.  Remove from pan and set aside.  Drizzle a little oil in pan, enough to coat, and add vegetable broth.  Bring to medium heat, then add broccoli and cover.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender- about 6-8 minutes, then set aside.
Meanwhile, drizzle a little oil in a large frying pan and bring to medium high heat.  Add peppers, onion, celery, and carrot, and whites of green onions.  Let cook about 5 minutes, then add garlic and ginger and cook until vegetables are tender and onions are translucent.  Add brown and wild rice with quinoa, sriracha, soy sauce, and sesame oil, and stir fry about 5 minutes, then gently fold in broccoli and cashews.  Add salt and pepper to taste, then reduce heat to low and cook for 4-5 minutes for flavors to marry.  Sprinkle raw green onions on top for garnish.

6 comments:

  1. Such a cute story. Loved your husband's comment about the mix looking like "...one of those weird things you vegetarians like." My husband sometimes comes home with multiple packages of low sodium products. The products are fine but finding room for them in my already bursting pantry is another challenge altogether.

    I'm glad you included a picture of the rice blend. I looked at the Safeway online shopping guide and discovered it doesn't contain any salt, so I could actually use it. Thank your husband for that bit of sleuthing.

    I love rice stir fries too and have determined to make them more often. This post only confirms that I need to make one this week.

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  2. This look great. I think it would be great to stir fry in some greens. I have spinach and kale still from my winter garden. Maybe some shredded carrots?

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    1. Some extra greens would be fabulous! Shredded carrots are in there- just don't show up in the pic! And neither do the cashews. I think a retake is in order, which shouldn't be a problem- I will definitely be making this again soon.

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  3. Indeed, we cook this at least once every couple of weeks, it's so simple and so good. This is very delicious and palatable type of stir fry. I decide to make this again for the second time tonight. Thank you for sharing.

    best stir fry

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    1. Maurice, that's great to hear! Glad you enjoyed it!

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