Bite Of Minnesota: Broccoli Cashew Stir Fry

Looking for more ways to infuse vegetables into your diet? A stir-fry is a quick and easy way to do it. Plus, it's a great opportunity to use bits and pieces of vegetables left in the crisper drawer.

That proved true when I had 3/4 of a pepper, 1/3 of a cabbage and some scallions sitting in my fridge last week.

I almost always have a package of tofu on hand, so I went with that as my protein, but chicken or beef would work well too.

This would go extremely well with the fresh lo mein noodles I've been eyeing at the Asian market, but since I was going for quick and healthy, I skipped the noodles altogether and dug right in.

If you're the type of person who likes a lot of sauce, double the recipe below. It will take a little longer to thicken, but it will be worth the wait.

Recipe:
1 lb. cubed protein (chicken, tofu, beef)

For Sauce:
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup water
3 tbsp. honey
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tbsp. toasted sesame oil
1 tsp. molasses
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp. grated fresh ginger
1 tbsp. cornstarch

For Stir Fry:
1 tbsp. peanut oil
3 cups broccoli florets
2 tbsp. water
2 cups chopped green cabbage
1 chopped red bell pepper
1/2 cup cashews (preferably unsalted)
4 scallions, sliced into 1-inch pieces
2 tbsp. sesame seeds, for garnish.

In a large bowl whisk sauce ingredients until cornstarch is dissolved. Set aside.

In a large wok or saute pan, heat half of the peanut oil over medium high heat and add protein. Cook, turning as needed, until lightly browned. Drain on paper towels.

Reduce heat to medium and add broccoli and 2 tablespoons water. Cover and cook for four minutes until broccoli is bright green. Uncover, add oil, cabbage and peppers and sauté, one to two minutes. Add sauce, toss and increase heat to high to bring sauce to a low boil. Once sauce thickens, add cooked protein, cashews and scallions and toss to combine. Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with sesame seeds.