So, when I say the words "comfort food" .... most likely this brings up visions of involving a special soup or stew, or a special dinner, or perhaps it may be a vision of hot steamy biscuits or bread fresh out of the oven dripping with butter.... you get the idea! Comfort food brings up visions of many different things for all of us...
But, this week, I've been on a mission to eat healthier... and with all this cold weather lingering around, I thought it would be a great idea to get in the kitchen, to create something healthy, nutritious, and yummy, all at the same time! And I wasn't sure whether it would qualify in the "comfort food" definition or not... but I was willing to give it a try!
I started out with LOTS of vegetables. I just about cleaned out the two bottom drawers of my refrigerator... this mixture included grated carrots, green, yellow and red peppers, onions, jalapeno, sweet potato, eggplant, celery, and fresh minced garlic... I heated up my large skillet with 1 tablespoon or so of sesame oil (this is a really important ingredient... don't use any other oil, the sesame oil gives it an amazing flavor!)
As the vegetables began to cook down, I added in some broccoli, kale, spinach, and bok choy leaves.
Then it was time to add the soy sauce... just add enough to taste... don't add too much at once, you can't undo the salty taste, so just a little bit at a time until it's just right...
Then I opened my package of Rice Sticks. This is a type of Asian noodle that tastes amazing with a stir fry, and is quite easy to prepare. Just soak the package of noodles in hot water for at least 10-15 minutes... and that's it!
Sorry for the glare in this picture...I didn't realize the water was creating a mirror effect while I was taking the picture until later...
And... the end result! An amazingly easy dinner full of nutrition... and then the real test was my kids... would they like it?
The verdict came in... they all chowed down and enjoyed the full rich flavor of the stir fry and had no idea they were eating a nutrition packed meal with veggies like kale and eggplant that they had previously turned up their noses at... and this stir fry actually tasted like a comfort food!
I didn't give exact amounts for this recipe, because there is no need to with a stir-fry. Just throw in the pot whatever veggies you have on hand, fry it in some sesame oil, add some soy sauce towards the end of cooking time, and whatever noodles you choose to use. I have also used spaghetti squash with this stir fry, and then you have a vegetable stir fry.... or if you want to add some meat, such as cubed chicken, that works great too!
I assure you that you'll be pleasantly surprised at how good all these veggies taste together, and also knowing that your body is receiving the comfort food it really needs!
My kids now tell me how much they love spinach, kale, and broccoli... especially in these stir fries... and so, I plan on experimenting with other ways to feed my family food that tastes good, and is good for you too!
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This looks and sounds so good! I'm going to try it later this week with the spaghetti squash.
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