Dinner Tonight? Easy Veggie Stir-Fry

I'm in the mood for some Chinese food this evening.  Which might be inconvenient, given that we are doing very well thus far on the The South Beach Diet Phase 1.

But I've come up with a plan that will satisfy my urge for a Chinese food fix, and still keep us within the parameters of Phase 1 requirements.

Woo hoo!

I've taken a recipe from Bill Phillips' Eating For Life cookbook, which I absolutely love, btw, because it's chock full of easy, healthy recipes that Mr. ReddHedd will happily eat, and tweaked it.

Originally this was the "Sesame Beef Stir-Fry recipe on page 125 -- but I've modified it a wee bit to make it South Beach Phase 1 friendly.  It took only a little bit of tweaking, and I've managed to add a bit more veggies to the mix for color, fiber and antioxidants while still maintaining a healthy profile.

So, here's what we are having for dinner here this evening:
Sesame Turkey Stir-Fry

1 lb. ground lean turkey (mostly, if not all, breast meat)
1 Tbsp. + 1 tsp. toasted sesame oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. grated fresh ginger
4 green onions, sliced, white and green parts separated
1 pkg. broccoli slaw (You can find this in the salad area at my grocery store, there are a few tiny slivers of carrot, but I'm ignoring them because ultimately they are healthy and we'll be back to eating them in a week and a half and a few slivers are not going to kill us -- if you want to be a purist, you ca pick them out of the slaw for Phase 1.)
1 sm. head Napa cabbage, cut into thin strips, and then diced into smaller pieces or shredded
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into thin strips
1 yellow bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into thin strips
3 Tbsp. soy sauce (use lite if you can find it, or add a little water to reduce sodium content)
1 tsp. Penzey's Bangkok Blend seasoning (could also use a little 5-spice powder or some lemon-pepper seasoning in a pinch, but I like the Thai kick of the Penzey's seasoning)
1/4 to 1/2 tsp. or more red pepper flakes (because I like it spicy, adjust to taste)
Chopped fresh cilantro, to taste

In your largest skillet, spray with cooking spray and heat 1 tsp. sesame oil over medium heat.  This makes a huge amount, so make sure you use a very large skillet.  Add ground turkey and brown until no longer pink and cooked through.  Remove turkey from skillet, drain, and place in a bowl -- keep warm.

Add 1 Tbsp. sesame oil to skillet, and heat over med-high heat.  Add garlic, ginger and white parts of onions; stir-fry for 2 minutes.  Add green onion tops, broccoli slaw, sliced Napa cabbage, and peppers; stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes until just beginning to soften.  Add 1 Tbsp. soy sauce and stir-fry 2 minutes more.  Return cooked ground turkey to skillet, add red pepper flakes to taste, and stir to mix well.  Heat through about 2 minutes more.  Stir in chopped fresh cilantro at the end and serve.

When we aren't doing Phase 1 of South Beach, we add brown rice to this as well.  Makes a really hearty meal and, best of all, it satisfies my Chinese food cravings without all the bad-for-you fat, MSG, and other deep-fried nastiness that you sometimes get.

Since this cooks pretty quickly, have all your ingredients chopped and ready to go before you begin, otherwise it is a serious scramble.  Also, a lot of these veggies can be purchased already chopped and prepped if you are pressed for time:  I've gotten my peppers, green onions, broccoli slaw all ready to go before, and you can even substitute a package of "angel hair" cabbage/slaw for the Napa cabbage and it works great.


(Photo via FotoosVanRobin.)