Quick and Healthy Stir Fries

By Katy G. Wilkens

I just got back from a wonderful birding trip to China. The birds we saw were amazing, but what really made me happy was all the vegetable gardens! Everywhere we went, every open plot of ground was stuffed with vegetables. Onions, leeks, potatoes, more kinds of greens than I have ever seen – spinach, bok choy, gai-lan, Napa cabbage, even citrus and apple trees and tea plants. You name it, it was growing by the side of the road.

And all these wonderful veggies ended up in our meals. We had so many great vegetable-based meals with meat as a garnish. The food arrived at our table practically before we’d had a chance to sit down, partially because our Chinese guide ordered by phone before we arrived at the restaurant, and partially because stir fried dishes are so fast to make.

I peeked inside some of the kitchens and was amazed to see the amount of preparation done ahead of time, so the chefs just had to toss the items into each dish, swirl them around the wok a few minutes, and….dinner was served. This technique also tends to keep fragile veggie vitamins intact as well.

So next time you get home late from work or some other activity, and dinner just seems to take too long, try one of these quick stir fries. You’ll have a healthy dinner ready before you know it.

Meanwhile, here are some tricks to decrease the sodium content of stir fry recipes – something we should all consider doing since sodium is not good for any of us. 

• Look for low-sodium soy sauce in your grocery store and compare labels. When a recipe includes soy sauce, cut the amount by 1/2 or 1/3 and use other flavorful ingredients, such as garlic, ginger, chili peppers, or Szechuan pepper to add flavor without sodium.
• To decrease the sodium even more in your Asian recipes, try cutting low-sodium soy sauce in half with pineapple juice. This fix was a favorite of patient tasters at Northwest Kidney Centers. To really reduce sodium, try the low-sodium soy sauce recipe on Northwest Kidney Centers’ website: chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.nwkidney.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Nutrition-Tips-Low-Salt-Asian-Sauces.pdf

Pork, Green Bean and Mushroom Stir Fry

1 pound pork, cut into thin strips

1 tablespoon oil

1 clove garlic, minced

1 teaspoon light soy sauce

1 teaspoon sugar

1 tablespoon rice vinegar, mirin or cooking sherry

¼ teaspoon ground pepper

1 medium onion

1 pound green beans, cut into 2-inch pieces

1 cup sliced bamboo shoots

1 cup fresh mushrooms or ½ cup dried Chinese cloud ear fungus, (soak and clean)

1 teaspoon low sodium soy sauce

½ cup water or low sodium chicken stock

1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons cold water

Heat oil until hot. Stir fry pork for about 5 minutes or until done. Add garlic, soy sauce, sugar, mirin/sherry, and pepper. Mix well. Add onion, green beans and bamboo shoots, stir fry for 1-2 minutes. Add mushrooms, soy sauce and stock. Cover pan and cook for another 1-2 minutes. Add cornstarch and water mixture, stir until thickened, about 1 minute. Serve with brown or white rice. Serves 4 as a main dish, 8 as a side dish.

Nutritional information for 4 servings: Calories: 252; Carbohydrates: 17 g; Protein: 23 g; Sodium: 188 mg

For 8 servings: Calories: 126; Carbohydrates: 8 g; Protein: 11 g; Sodium: 94 mg

Stir Fried Spicey Cabbage

1 pound cabbage, Napa cabbage or bok choy, cut into 2 inch by ¾ inch slices

3 tablespoons sugar

3 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 tablespoon peanut oil

Combine sugar, vinegar, soy sauce and both pepper and pepper flakes. Set aside

Heat oil until hot. Add cabbage or bok choy and stir fry for 2 minutes or until cabbage is coated with oil and turns a brighter green. Remove from pan, put in a serving bowl, and add vinegar mixture and mix well. Cool to lukewarm before serving.

Nutritional information for 4 servings: Calories: 96; Carbohydrates: 16 g; Protein: 2 g; Sodium: 193 mg