Orange Sweet Potato Stir Fry
November 6, 2015
Orange Sweet Potato Stir Fry has gently stir fried harvest autumn vegetables tossed with a light ginger orange sauce and topped with toasted pine nuts.
What do you make to eat when it is clean out the refrigerator day? Inspiration for me always comes from the fresh produce and fruits in the crisper.
I was testing my dad's theory on how items, that are harvested together from the garden, go together perfectly. I think he is really on to something. I had sweet potatoes, regular potatoes, red radishes, snow peas and aromatics on the list and was well on my way to creating orange sweet potato stir fry.
Have you ever tried stir frying red baby radishes? They turn very sweet and delicious when they hit the heat. I love the sweet tender potatoes together with the crisp the snow peas and the crunch from the toasted pine nuts. I am keenly aware of textures in recipes and all soft foods or all crunchy foods are just plain boring to me. I like to mix it up and a little and enjoy a little of both in my dishes. How about you?
The delicately sweet and savoury sauce of simple ginger, garlic, star anise, fresh orange juice, aromatics and coconut oil is all you need to enjoy a quick bowl of comforting orange sweet potato stir fry.
Orange Sweet Potato Stir Fry is happily gluten-free, vegan, cardiac friendly and if you swap out the regular potatoes for all sweet potatoes this recipe it is Paleo friendly as well.
We make our fair share of soups and fried rice on clean out the refrigerator day but this Orange Sweet Potato Stir Fry has it all going on as it is slightly sweet, savoury, tongue numbing from the star anise and tart from the little bit of orange zest.
According to Chinese Medicine, ginger, garlic, star anise and pine nuts are warming foods. Oranges and radishes are cooling foods and sweet potato and regular potatoes are neutral foods. In this orange sweet potato stir fry, you have a nice balance of warming, cooling and neutral foods and this helps keep your body balanced.
It is this time of the year with the change of seasons and wind that make people most apt to catch the cold and flu, if your body is stressed. If you keep your body balanced, keep the stress level low, sleep well and stay away from snotty little kids you have a better chance of staying healthy this fall. Take care of yourself, a gentle reminder from your friendly nurse!
You might also be interested in these other quick and easy Chinese stir fry dishes...
Spicy Stirfried Romaine Lettuce
Shrimp and Wild Rice Stem Stir Fry
Orange Sweet Potato Stir Fry
November 6, 2015
Orange Sweet Potato Stir Fry has gently stir fried harvest autumn vegetables tossed with a light ginger orange sauce and topped with toasted pine nuts.
- Cook: 20 mins
- Yields: 2 Adults or 1 Hungry Teenager
Ingredients
coconut oil - 1 tablespoon (or olive oil)
star anise - 3 whole (or can use 1/4 teaspoon 5 spiced powder)
sweet potato - 1 large peeled and chopped into 1 inch cubes
potato - 1 medium peeled and chopped into 1 inch cubes
radishes - 10 radishes trimmed edges and cut in half
orange juice - juice of orange (half to cook the potatoes in and save the other half for the end of the cooking process
snow peas - 1/2 cup edges removed and strings removed and chopped to be about the same size as potatoes
Directions
1Heat coconut oil in pan and add ginger, garlic and star anise just until they are aromatic. Add your chopped sweet potatoes, regular potatoes (hold regular potatoes if staying paleo), radishes, salt and pepper to taste and 1/2 of the fresh squeezed orange juice. Put a lid on your pan and turn your heat to medium low and allow to steam for about 3-5 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender.
2Remove the lid, add the snow peas and cook until bright green about 1-2 minutes. Add orange zest and about 2 tablespoons (or a little squeeze) of fresh orange juice and toss quickly. Adjust seasonings as required and add your pine nuts for a one last quick toss and serve immediately. Enjoy!
