Basic Stir-Fry

Perhaps the simplest base recipe ever is the stir-fry. This is more an outline than a recipe. It's great for improvising a meal with what you have on hand. It can be vegetarian or not depending on what protein you use. A wok is ideal but a big frying pan will work too.

Ingredients:

• cubed meat(chicken/beef/pork) or 1 package diced seitan/tempeh/extra firm tofu
• diced onion and/or garlic
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• chopped veggies (carrots, broccoli, brussels sprouts, peppers, zucchini, sweet potatoes, etc.)
• handful chopped nuts or seeds
• spices/soy sauce/teriaki sauce/jerk sauce/etc.
• rice/pasta/quinoa/etc.

saute onion or garlic in olive oil. add meat or tofu and fry until cooked.  Add veggies, nuts and sauce or spices and stir fry until veggies are tender.  Serve over rice or pasta.

If you use meat you may not need as much oil.  If you use tofu, dry it first and press it between two plates to squeeze out any excess moisture.  Add a little salt while frying it and a sprinkle of brown sugar will make it a little crispy.  Tofu is "cooked" when it's slightly browned. If you use dry spices (rather than some kind of sauce) you might need a bit more oil or even a little water to keep everything moist enough. The more you make this the easier it will be to know what you need.