So, I’m doing a low-carb type thing for a couple of weeks, and man, am I bored. There’s only so much you can do without sugar, sweet fruit, pasta, bread, or anything, well, delicious.
I’m on week two of this carb-reduced experiment, and I’m so tired of the same flavours. Tex-mex for a week straight… sounds good, gets a little dull. So, in an effort to shake things up, I tried to go for something more Italian by hauling out the Balsamic vinegar.
Then, I added ginger. Don’t add ginger if you want to “keep it Italian”.
What I ended up with is more reminiscent of teriyaki than tagliatelle, but it’s pretty tasty, so I’m not disappointed.
As I said, my focus was on the low-carb side of things, but the wonderful thing about this dish is that it can be paired with rice if you’re not reducing your carb intake. Add a side of meat (pork or chicken work best), and all the healthy food groups are covered!
This Asian-inspired stir fry is low-carb yet delicious! Pair it with pork or chicken for a bit of extra protein, or serve it atop a side of rice for a well-balanced meal.
Preheat the pan with a little oil and prepare your veggies while you wait. Dice the onion and cauliflower, chop the celery, and roughly chop the peppers.
Add the onion to the oil and heat until the onion is translucent.
Add the celery, peppers and cauliflower and sprinkle a dash of salt to draw out the liquids. Heat through until the peppers are vibrant in colour, about 6-7 minutes.
Meanwhile, add a sprinkle of hot tap water to the peas and microwave them for 3 minutes, stirring at the minute-and-a-half mark. The hot tap water helps give the microwave something to work with. You can optionally use canned or fresh peas instead of doing this step.
In a small bowl, mix together the balsamic vinegar, soy sauce and seasoning, except the salt. Stir well.
By now the peppers should be vibrant in colour. Add the peas and sauce and mix well.
Stir frequently to reduce the sauce. You should end up with darkly-tinted veggies, vibrant green peas and no extra sauce.
Serve with pork or chicken. If you’re not watching your carbs, this goes well with rice.