The "I Didn’t Have a Dinner Plan" Stir-Fry

Despite the fact that I did finally go grocery shopping, I didn’t have a plan for dinner. So I hit the fridge and pulled out a few things that I thought would go nicely together: asparagus, onion, mushrooms, tofu, kale and two hot peppers. I stir-fried them together in olive oil with a little Bragg’s Liquid Aminos and rice vinegar and threw in a can of chickpeas. I also cooked up some quinoa to serve it all over. It was quite a nice impromptu dinner!
So where do I get my protein? From this dish!! Tofu, chickpeas and quinoa are all very high in protein. Even asparagus has a decent amount of protein! The average female needs 45 grams of protein and the average male needs 55 grams. Out of curiosity I tallied the protein amount in this meal, and it came to about 45 grams, so it contained all the protein I needed for a day! And of course, I also ate breakfast and lunch which also contained protein, so in one day I consumed a lot more protein than I need. 

Like what you’re reading? Then sign up for my healthy living newsletter!

No-Idea-What-To-Make Stir Fry



Usually I have a dinner plan in advance, but this time I didn’t. Most of the time, I figure out what I want to cook for a few days and then go grocery shopping for the ingredients. I was really busy for a few days and didn’t have time to plan any meals, so when I went shopping, I just bought a bunch of things that looked good. I mixed together white and black quinoa for a little color. Then I stir-fried together a bunch of veggies in peanut oil – broccoli, red peppers, mushrooms, red onions, chickpeas and bok choy. I also sprinkled in a little rice vinegar. Simple and delicious!



Like what you’re reading? Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/diannewenz

Spicy Stir-Fry


This is from a Vegetarian Times recipe, although you really don’t need a recipe to create a stir-fry like this. The stir-fry consists of a red bell pepper, boy choy, broccoli, snow peas, onion and peanuts, which are all cooked in peanut oil. The recipe doesn’t call for them, but I added mushrooms. I used rice noodles instead of whole wheat noodles, and I don’t have hoisin sauce, so I used a little umeboshi vinegar and Bragg’s Amino Acids. This meal was delicious and packed with nutrition! Look at how colorful and green it is!

Like what you’re reading? Then sign up for my healthy living newsletter!

What’s in the Fridge? Stir-Fry


This is another fridge clean-out stir-fry. It consists of shiitake mushrooms, red onions, sugar snap peas, hot peppers and cabbage cooked in peanut oil with some rice vinegar and a little bit of Bragg’s Amino Acids. I cooked brown rice to go with it. It was delicious!

Brown rice is rice the way nature intended. When the outer layers of a grain of rice are removed, white rice is produced. Brown rice is much more nutritious than white because several vitamins and minerals are also removed in the process, such as vitamins B1, B3 and iron. Brown rice is also a good source of magnesium, calcium, folate, zinc, manganese, phosphorus, selenium and dietary fiber.

Like what you’re reading? Then sign up for my healthy living newsletter!

Clean Out the Fridge Stir-Fry


I usually plan my meals in advance and then shop for the ingredients, rather than wander the grocery store and pick up things that look good. Sometimes I end up with some things leftover in the fridge, so I like to make Clean Out the Fridge stir-fries and pastas, and sometimes even pizzas, depending on what I have. This time, I had some shiitake mushrooms, sugar snap peas, a little bit of cauliflower, half an onion and a zucchini, so I thought they’d do well in a stir-fry. I added some chickpeas and a handful of cashews, and stir-fried everything in a little peanut oil, umeboshi vinegar, wheat-free tamari and a spicy cooking wine. I also added some hot peppers for a little flavor. I cooked up some black rice to serve the veggies over. This is a great way to use up the leftover veggies hanging out in the fridge!

On another note, I went for another blood test this morning. It’s a follow up to see how my system is doing on my elimination diet. I have an appointment with the doctor on the 12th to get the results.


Like what you’re reading? Then sign up for my healthy living newsletter!

Stir-fry with Quinoa


I decided to make some simple after spending so much time in the kitchen making Shepherdess Pie, so I made a quick stir-fry. And since I’ve been eating quite a bit of rice lately, I served it over quinoa.

In the stir-fry were shallots, onion, broccoli, red bell peppers, shiitake mushrooms, sugar snap peas, chickpeas, peanuts and mung bean sprouts. I added some spicy red peppers while the veggies were cooking, but just for flavor. I certainly didn’t eat any of them! (But Dennis did!) I made a quick spicy peanut sauce by mixing together a little peanut butter, spicy Thai red sauce, wheat-free tamari, rice vinegar and lime juice. I didn’t measure anything, so I don’t have a recipe. Stir-frys are great, because you can add anything you want and it’s pretty much guaranteed to taste good!


Like what you’re reading? Then sign up for my healthy living newsletter!

Simple Stir-fry


I’ve been making some pretty elaborate dinners lately, but not every allergen free meal has to be so complicated. It’s pretty easy to make dishes that are vegan and are free of soy, wheat, corn and the other foods I’m sensitive too. To prove that point, I made a simple stir-fry. It was easy to make, but it was still delicious and packed with nutrition.

The stir-fry consisted of onions, sugar sugar snap peas, red and orange mini peppers, mushrooms, baby bok choy and peanuts. I used peanut oil, rice vinegar and wheat-free tamari sauce to season the veggies, and then I added some spicy Thai chili sauce for a little kick. (Yes, tamari does contain soy. I’ll admit – I use it occasionally as a condiment.) I served the veggies over Trader-Joes Brown Rice Medley, and I topped the whole thing off with sesame seeds.

Sesame seeds may be the oldest condiment known to man dating back to as early as 1600 BC. They are high in calcium, magnesium, iron, copper, phosphorus, vitamin B1, zinc and dietary fiber. Sesame seeds also contain lignans the sesamin and sesamolin which have been shown lower cholesterol and prevent high blood pressure. Sesamin has also been found to protect the liver from oxidative damage. So be sure sprinkle sesame seeds liberally on your veggies and rice dishes!



Like what you’re reading? Then sign up for my healthy living newsletter!

Pad Thai Again


I know I’ve already made Pad Thai, but it’s extremely tasty and pretty easy to make, so I think it’s going to become a regular meal in my house now. This time around, the sauce wasn’t as thick but it still tasted peanut-buttery yummy. I used spicy Thai chili paste in the sauce to give it a nice spicy kick. I remembered that I’m sensitive to corn, so I didn’t add baby corn like I did the last time. The stir-fry consists of sugar snap peas, broccoli, red bell pepper, mushrooms and peanuts. I did have mung bean sprouts this time, so I added them to the stir fry at the end, along with some scallions.

Adding mung bean sprouts is a good way to add a little extra nutritional value to a meal. They contain vitamins A, B, C and E as well as calcium, potassium and iron. Sprouts are also a high source of fiber, are easily digestible and contain a high concentration of enzymes facilitating the digestive process. They also add a nice crunch and mild flavor to meals, so add some sprouts to your sandwiches, salads and stir-fries!

Like what you’re reading? Then sign up for my healthy living newsletter!

Pineapple Quinoa Stir-Fry


This is another favorite from Veganomicon, but I’ve made it so many times that I no longer follow the recipe. I omitted some things and threw in some others. The stir-fry consists of onion, peas, bell peppers, chili peppers and cashews. Pineapple and quinoa are added at the end. I also sautéed some Swiss chard to go with it.

If you’re unfamiliar with quinoa, you MUST try it. Quinoa is packed with protein. It’s considered a “perfect protein”, meaning it contains all essential amino acids. It is high in magnesium and iron, and also contains lots of B vitamins, vitamin E, zinc and phosphorus. Quinoa is gluten free so people with celiac disease or gluten intolerance can eat it. It cooks up quickly, so it’s good for a quick dinner. It also makes a nice breakfast cereal when cooked with rice milk, nuts, seeds dried fruits and cinnamon. And if you’re wondering how to pronounce it, it’s keen-wa!

Dr. Fuhrman