Free Vegetable Stir-fry

total time:: 1 hr , less if you prepare the rice in advance

Serves four

This stir-fry is composed only of vegetables of a low glycemic index value, which means that if you are hungry, you can take seconds without breaking your diet! It’s healthy, tasty and satisfying.

ingredients

1 1/2 cups brown rice
3 TBS olive oil
fresh ginger, grated
5-6 cloves of garlic, chopped
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 cup boiling water with pareve chicken-soup flavored powder or miso, or home-made stock
2 TBS low sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup red wine
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 TBS peanuts, pine nuts, or walnuts, etc.
Whatever is in season, from the following list: (try to get different, contrasting colors, for a total amount of 6-8 cups)
asparagus, cut into diagonal pieces
bean sprouts
bok choy or beet greens, cut into strips
broccoli and/or cauliflower
celery, divided into florets
green, red and/or yellow peppers, cut into strips
one hot pepper, cut diagonally into very thin strips
marrow (Kishua), cut into strips
mushrooms, chopped
bunch of parsley, washed in soapy water and rinsed thoroughly, cut into strips with a scissors
spinach, washed, picked over and rinsed, cut into strips
swiss chard, cut into strips

directions

1
Pick over the brown rice and put in a large glass bowl with salt with five cups of water, cover with a plate and cook in the microwave on full power for 45 minutes (or cook in a pot: bring the water to boil and then simmer 40 minutes until the water is absorbed and the rice is soft, then let stand five more minutes).
2
While the rice is cooking, steam the broccoli and/or cauliflower in a steaming basket until just tender. The broccoli should be a bright green.
3
Prepare all the other vegetables, placing the chopped onion and the hot pepper (if using) on a separate plate, and the ginger and garlic on yet another plate. Keep the peanuts, pine nuts or walnuts aside. Put the other vegetables in a big bowl.
4
Heat the olive oil in a wok or heavy pot, and add the ginger and garlic, stirring, until it begins to smell good (two or three minutes).
5
Add the chopped onion, the mushrooms (if using) and the hot pepper (if using) and saute, stirring, until the onions become translucent.
6
Add the broccoli and/or cauliflower and continue to stir.
7
Add all the other vegetables and stir until they are warmed through.
8
Combine the chicken-flavored soup, soy sauce, and wine, salt and pepper, and pour over the vegetables. Stir well and cover when it begins to steam.
9
Cooked, covered, for ten minutes, stirring occasionally.
10
Adjust seasoning.
11
Serve the stir-fry over the rice, garnishing with the nuts.

notes

Each serving consists of 1/2 cup of cooked rice (a ladle-full) and as much of the vegetables as you want, they're free! The rice is 109 calories, of which 92 are from carbs, and figure 50 more calories (approximately) for the oil, wine and five peanuts

Source: Shulamith