Is anyone else ready for Spring? I know it's only February but I really want it to be warm.
I’ve got a delicious recipe to share today. So I clearly need to visit some Asian countries soon because when it comes to exploring the world of culinary flavors I always seem to come back to something Asian. I just love all the different ingredients that go into making these types of dishes, and I genuinely love eating all types of different veggies too.
Honestly guys, I don’t understand why veggies have such a bad rep, especially when you prepare them like this. I mean, everything becomes a world of yumminess when it’s stir-fried and cooked with layers of flavor. And speaking of flavors, I was so excited recently when I happened to find some fresh Thai basil at my local grocery. It’s something I’ve rarely ever found around here so I knew I wanted to star it in one of my next recipes.
It may look a lot like regular basil, but the taste is way different. It’s got it’s own thing going on and it makes the perfect finishing touch for a stir-fry like this. So I kept this very simple but you could add some tofu or tempeh for an extra filling weeknight meal.
I’d say one of the best parts of this dish is that it’s so fast and easy. I know I say this about a lot of recipes, but I can never pass up celebrating a quick meal after spending years now trying some not-so-fast recipes. This is coming from the girl who’s tried to make pretty much everything the long way. I mean, if we’re talking about slow-cooker meals, that’s a different story, but I’m referring to those meals that need like two or three days of planning ahead. This dinner takes right around 30 minutes and the only unusual ingredient is the Thai basil, which may not even be that unusual to some of you. The rest of the list are all things that are pretty common in Stir-fry dishes so they should be familiar. I hope you enjoy this one!
Easy 30-Minute Thai Basil Asian Stir-Fry
Grab the chopsticks and get your appetite ready for this quick and easy stir-fry that only takes about 30 minutes to make.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 4 servings
Ingredients
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar or honey
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
2 teaspoons chili garlic paste
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
3 cloves garlic minced
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1 cup carrots diced
1 tablespoon cooking oil divided (I used peanut)
1 red bell pepper seeded and sliced
1 leek thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups sugar snap peas
1/2 pound portabella mushrooms sliced
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 cup vegetable stock
1 handful Thai basil leaves roughly chopped
steamed rice for serving
toasted sesame seeds for topping optional
Instructions
In a large bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar, chili garlic paste, ginger, garlic, and sesame oil. Add the cornstarch and beef stock to the sauce/marinade and stir until smooth.
Heat a large wok or skillet over medium high heat and add 1 tablespoon of cooking oil and add the carrots. cook for 2-3 minutes until starting to soften then add the rest of the vegetables and cook for an additional few minutes until tender-crisp, about 3 minutes. Pour the sauce mixture into the skillet and bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes until it begins to thicken. Return meat to pan and heat through. Serve with rice and a sprinkle of sesame seeds if desired.
Instructions
Chocolate Hazelnut Granola:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a small sauce pan melt together the coconut oil, hazelnut butter, maple, and sugar. Once melted stir in the vanilla, salt, arrowroot, cocoa, and almond milk until smooth. Now fold in the almond flour and oats and scrape the mixture out onto prepared pan. Spread into an even layer and place in the oven to bake. After about 12 minutes add the hazelnuts.
Bake for 25-30 minutes total, stirring every 5 - 7 minutes throughout cooking. The granola is done when the clusters are golden brown. Allow the granola to cool completely. Once cooled, add the chopped chocolate chunks. Store in an airtight container for up to one week.
Yogurt Bowls:
Stir together the yogurt, syrup, and vanilla and scoop into bowls for serving. Top the yogurt with the oranges and granola and serve.
ALL CONTENT IS MINE AND ORIGINAL! All of these food photos were taken with my Nikon D750 and my favorite Lens, the Nikon AF-S FX NIKKOR 50mm f/1.8G. You can find out more in my INTRO POST.
Also, a huge shoutout to 
for designing my logo!
If you're looking for more recipes check out some of my other recent posts!
- Superbowl Snack - Southwest Egg Rolls + Ranch Sauce
- The Fluffiest Chocolate Chip Pancakes
- Creamy Mushrooms + Broccoli Gnocchi
- Healthy Cocoa + Maca Bliss Balls
- Bowl Style Sushi!
Also, check out my recap of last year
- Recapping 2018 for Gringalicious - Part 1
- Recapping 2018 for Gringalicious - Part 2
- Recapping 2018 for Gringalicious - Part 3