💛Vegan Veggie Stir Fry💛 w/tempeh
Tempt your tastebuds with this tempeh veggie stir fry! (Try saying that 10 times fast hahaha.)
In light of everything going on, I know we are all now like...
This is, more than ever, a time to double down on being a Fairy Foodie which embraces health, energy vitality and nature's natural immunities!
In this week's Fairy Foodie Feature, we are making this beauteousness:

You will need:
Mushrooms
Sesame oil
Rice vinegar
Vegetable broth
ginger or garlic cubes
sugar snap peas
carrots
onions
rice (I used from frozen "Rice Medley" from Trader Joe's)
sunflower oil
tempeh, cubed
vegetable broth
to garnish: red pepper flakes, raw brown sugar
extra: Veggie hodgepodge (I used Trader Joe's brand, as a base)
First, heat or cook the rice as per the instructions. Line a soup bowl about 1/3 deep with cooked rice.While that is taking place, cube tempeh and cut all raw veggies into bite sized pieces including the carrots, sugar snap peas, mushrooms, and onions. You can use a from frozen veggie stir fry to add more depth to your veggies. Simply preheat from frozen and add to your mixture.
In a saute pan, put a little bit of sunflower oil and a garlic cube (or two to your liking) and let the onions saute a little bit first. Then, add the vegetable broth and the raw veggies. If you would like to get fancy and match this recipe exactly, use the Trader Joe's Miso Ginger broth I used for an extra oomph. I like purchasing these mini packs of frozen garlic "cubes". The garlic is usually minced and then combined with something like cornstarch to give it a bit of extra binding power. You pop them out of the tray from frozen and don't have to deal with as much time consuming mashing and squishing. (Although a good raw garlic press is always great now and again.)

Using flavorings like this gives us the savory taste our taste buds want without having to overcook everything in oil. Plussssss, garlic is loaded with crazy immunity benefits that will be working to fight bad juju for you like:
Fun Facts about Garlic:
Garlic contains the compound allicin which has been known to lower blood pressure and cholesterol
It can eliminate toxins from the lymphatic system and benefit the digestive tract
It is the antibiotic equivalent of 100,000 units of penicillin! (in raw form)
It can be antibacterial, antiviral, anti-cancer, and antifungal...can't beat that!!
Source: Medical Medium
After the veggies cook down a bit, let the onions and semi-softness of the carrots be your guide. You want all these veggies tender...with exception to sugar snap peas which you want steamed and still a bit crisp. Be watching carefully to not over add broth (put enough to coat the pan but it will burn off faster than oil so you need to watch it and at times add a bit more in).
I love bringing carrots and sugar snap peas into this dish for much needed color. The sugar snap peas give a vibrant crunch, and the carrots bring the colors together better and also boost nutrients like whoa.
Fun Facts about Carrots:
They are considered to be one of the most widely used root vegetables worldwide
They contain beta-carotene which is crucial for improving immunity
They can protect skin and eye health
They can fight free radical damage against many chronic diseases like heart disease and cancer
Source: Dr. Axe
The last few steps here are simple but important to complete the dish. Before taking the veggie pan off the stove, drizzle it with sesame oil and some rice wine vinegar. The reason we do not add the sesame oil during is because it is best served cold and not a good oil for cooking (avocado, sunflower, or olive are better for that). Toss evenly. Then ladle the veggie mixture on top of the rice you had prepared. Sprinkle with some red pepper flakes and some raw brown sugar to garnish. (Trust me, it will complement the other flavors well.)
Serve with some chopsticks and then prepare for some pup ogling for your goods!

