Orange Ginger Sweet Potato Stir Fry with Sausage

Nourish and Warm it Up!

During the change of seasons, especially during the transition from late summer to fall, we need to take extra good care of our gut health and nutrition. This is the time of the year that you need to nourish your body and eat spleen qi friendly meals. According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, our spleens are responsible for making qi (your circulating life force), extracting it from food, and delivering it to your body. If your gut health is poor, your whole body doesn’t function properly.

Eating warm and nourishing foods like stir fried harvest autumn vegetables in a light ginger orange sauce, is just what your body craves. It’s easy to digest, filled with warming spices and a great way to boost your immunity. 

Healthy Ingredients

Sweet potato – Did you know there are over 16 types of sweet potatoes? We used a Beauregard type of sweet potato. It has deep orange flesh with red-orange skin. Every type has a slightly different flavor, sweetness profile and color ranging from white to purple. Use the sweet potato type that is easily accessible at the markets near you.

Oranges – You will be using the orange peel to infuse the orange flavor into the cooking oil. In addition, the juice of one orange is used to naturally sweeten this savory sweet potato recipe and our Mandarin Chicken. Sweet potato and orange flavor are a match made in heaven.

Italian Sausage – We used hot Italian sausage from 2 links and saved the rest for our tortellini soup. You need just a little bit to give a pop of flavor. You can also use mild Italian sausage, Chinese cured sausages, chorizo, turkey sausage or plant-based sausage. If you are celiac, be sure to choose a gluten free sausage - there are many options.

Aromatics – Ginger, garlic, dried red chili flakes, 5 spice powder and onions. Some of the best substitutes for Chinese 5 spice powder are allspice, garam masala or even a little ground cinnamon.

Veggies of Choice

You will need about 2 cups of fresh veggies to feed 2 hungry adults. Forage the refrigerator to see what you have. We used the stalks of broccoli and radishes because after all we are using up the bits and bobs of veggies in the refrigerator. With the cost of groceries these days - never let anything go to waste.

If you have not tried these veggies in a stir fry, you have no idea what you are missing out on.

• Broccoli stalks are a little hidden gem. Once they are peeled and chopped, they are perfect for stir fry or delicious in a chicken curry soup.
• The radishes turn lightly sweet when stir fried and have a little peppery twist at the end.

How Do You Dress Up a Stir Fry?

Adding a garnish is the simplest way to make a sweet potato stir fry extra tasty! Try adding some texture like…

• Roasted pepitas
• Peanuts
• toasted sesame seeds
• crushed almonds
• cashews
• and more.  

Adding toasted nuts and seeds is a quick and delicious way to add protein and crunch. Other topping suggestions are crispy fried shallots, green onions, or even stir-fried orange zest peel. Not only do these add texture but also add a load of flavor.  

Stir Frying Basics

Hands down, stir frying is one of the easiest and most delicious ways to eat healthy. However, there are a couple important rules to follow for the best outcome.

1. You do not need to own a wok to make a simple stir fry. All you need is a large frying pan with a lid that can handle high heat.
2. Use an oil with a low smoking point like canola or peanut oil to be traditional. However, we are anything but traditional. We rely heavily on light flavored olive oil to cook most things in our kitchen – it’s the healthier choice.
3. Slice, dice and prepare all vegetables, proteins, and aromatics BEFORE you turn on the burner to the stove.
4. Assemble and prepare any sauces BEFORE you turn on the burner on the stovetop.
5. Cook the proteins and aromatics first.
6. Next, stir-fry the hard vegetables, such as sweet potatoes or carrots. After adding the firm vegetables to the hot pan, add a splash of water or broth and cover the pan with a lid to lightly steam the veggies until they are nearly al dente. Finally, uncover and give them a quick stir-fry to achieve that perfect crunchy texture. Unlike Western cooking, Asian stir fries like this one and our bay scallop stir fry with spring veggies aim to retain a bit of texture in the vegetables. They should be fork tender but not mushy!
7. Follow up with any quick cooking vegetables like bok choy, snow peas, etc. 
8. Lastly, you will add any sauces and do a quick toss to coat all the proteins and veggies in the pan.

Sweet Potato Recipes from around the Globe

The humble sweet potato can be used in so many ways. If you have been a follower of Healthy World Cuisine, you know that we are big fans of Fusion recipes.

India – Try our less than 30-minute ground turkey sweet potato curry. It's filled with warming spices and is even better the next day. Not to be out done, is our unique recipe for chicken tandoori sweet potato skins is a fun flavor fusion of spicy, sweet and crispy – all in one.

Japan – Japanese sweet potato fries is our lightened-up version of the Japanese dessert - daigaku imo. Traditionally this treat is made with deep-fried sweet potato and a hard sugar coating. Our version is baked, low sugar with a delicious sweet and savory dipping sauce.

Thailand – If you need a warm and nourishing meal, our creamy sweet potato soup is one bowl you don’t want to miss. One of our family’s favorite sheet pan dinners is our spicy salmon and sweet potato hash – The best Thai- American fusion recipe.

Philippines – Did you know that sweet potatoes can be transformed into delicious glass vermicelli noodles? Camote Bihon is the most addictive way to eat your veggies with these fun slurping noodles.