Roasted Veggie Stir Fry with Peanut Sauce

Stir fry is one of my favorite dishes because it is so diverse. You can combine almost any mix of vegetables with noodles and sauce to make it taste delicious. It’s a way to please even the pickiest of eaters because it can be served mixed or buffet style. With easy prep and lots of leftovers, this recipe is a win all around. I love how one stir fry is not ever the same as the last. Check out one of my favorite recipes that I created using ingredients that I have in my pantry to create this one of a kind masterpiece.

For the Veggie Stir Fry:

• 3-4 carrots, sliced thin

• 1/2 white onion, sliced thin

• 1/2 green cabbage, sliced thin

• 1 head broccoli, cut into florets

• 1 can bean sprouts, rinsed well

• Or use 2-3 cups of any vegetables on hand

• 3-4 cloves of garlic, minced

• 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• 1 package noodles of choice (I'm using glass sweet potato noodles, but any thin noodle will work)

• Sesame seeds (for topping)

For the Peanut Sauce:

• 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter

• 1/4 cup liquid aminos or GF Tamari

• 1/4 cup honey

• 2 Tbsp oyster sauce (omit if GF)

• 1 tsp garlic powder

• 6-8 Tbsp water divided

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

2) Cut all veggies and place them onto a foiled sheet pan.

3) Put olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper on veggies. Stir to coat everything evenly.

4) Put the tray in the oven for 25 minutes or until they become light brown on the edges. Check at 5-minute intervals after that and stir to ensure the veggies cook evenly.

5) Combine ingredients for the peanut sauce in a separate bowl. Add water at 2 tbsp intervals and stir to reach desired consistency.

6) Cook noodles according to directions on the bag. Once done, place the noodles in ice, cold water to prevent the noodles from sticking together.

7) Once the veggies are done, combine noodles with veggies in a wok pan or large skillet for 5 minutes or until everything is cooked through.

8) Add the desired amount of sauce and enjoy. Top with sesame seeds. Feel free to add Tofu, egg, or cooked lean animal protein for an extra calorie boost for a fantastic post-workout meal. I added cooked shrimp in the picture below.

Want to learn how to cook this for your family, but have never chopped a vegetable properly before? I’ll teach you in my all-new virtual online cooking classes. From start to finish, you will have the tools to create meals that will please you and your loved ones.

Spaghetti Squash Stir Fry

When you think of stir fry, you think healthy.

A rainbow of vegetables mixed with noodles (or rice), protein, and sauce in a bowl.

On the surface, it seems like a balanced dish.

Now, you see stir fry in food courts and all over the fast food scene.

Stir fry, which is a healthy dish has been saturated by the market.

What a lot of the restaurants don’t tell the consumers is how it’s prepared with peanut or canola oils.

The amount of carbohydrates in stir fry with noodles or pasta is much more than an amount needed in one meal.

A lot of sauces are prepared with more sugar than the daily recommended serving.

Those alone decrease the healthfulness of the dish.

Knowing what I do now about health and nutrition, I decided to take a stand and recreate this dish back in my kitchen.

By embracing my body having a hard time digesting gluten, I created my own version of stir fry.

I removed all of the processed ingredients and did some research to find sauces with the fewest ingredients.

I learned how fun making spaghetti squash can be.

It yields a ton of leftovers to make food for an entire week.

Stir fry at a restaurant can run your wallet $20 or more. Get your bang for your buck with my spaghetti squash stir fry recipe below!

Ingredients:

• 1 lb cooked protein of choice (I used shrimp)

• 1 Medium to large spaghetti squash

• 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, divided

• 1/2 Sweet yellow onion, chopped

• 1/2 Red bell pepper, chopped

• 4 Oz shiitake mushrooms, chopped

• 1 Cup fresh spinach, chopped

• 1/2 Cup sugar snap peas or snow peas

• Salt and pepper to taste

• Top with sesame seeds

For the Sauce:

• 1 Cup vegetable broth

• 1/2 Cup peanut butter

• 4 Cloves garlic, minced

• 1 Inch piece of fresh ginger, minced

• 1/2 Cup Tamari or Liquid Aminos

• 3 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar

• 1 Tbsp. sesame oil

• 1 Tbsp. sriracha (optional)

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place spaghetti squash halves face down on a baking sheet with a drizzle of olive oil, salt, and pepper on each half. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until squash is fork tender.

2) Begin cooking your protein. If you're using chicken, add it on a separate foiled baking sheet and cook with the spaghetti squash. For shrimp, cook until pink.

 
3) Chop your veggies. On medium heat, add a tablespoon of olive oil to a pan. Place the onions in your pan and sauté for 5 minutes. Add the peppers and mushrooms and sauté for another 5 minutes. Add the spinach. Sauté until the spinach is wilted and your veggies are nice and soft. 

4) Combine all ingredients to the sauce in a separate bowl, set aside.

5) When your spaghetti squash is done, let it cool for 5-10 minutes. Spaghetti all of your squash with a fork and add it to your vegetables. 

6) Add the cooked protein and sauce mixture to your veggie mixture and stir to mix through.

7) Top with sesame seeds. Enjoy!

PS: Looking for more creative pasta alternatives? Check out my food substitutions blog where I share a handful of recipes that will cater to those looking for a lighter dish. With a few tweaks, you will have a tasty meal that will have you forget that you’re not eating pasta!