Kids won't eat veggies? Try this recipe! Veggie Stir Fry with Quinoa & Homemade Teriyaki sauce
First off, let me apologize for not having a picture of dinner tonight. I'm a visual person, and when someone recommends a recipe, I love to see what it's supposed to look like. However, I was rushing dinner to get to my niece's soccer game and it totally slipped my mind.
Secondly, let me explain that Tuesdays are Elle & Mommy nights. My husband is in a golf league, so dinner is completely up to me (Chad is super picky). I also like quick meals on Tuesdays, as my day is busy and I'm usually worn out and/or heading to a game, like tonight.
With that said, I was able to make my favorite quick meal that Elle just devours every time. As she was eating tonight, I knew I had to share this with you as I've had many of you ask me for recipes.
If you have a little one that just won't eat veggies, try this! Elle eats every. last. bite. and keeps asking for more. Also, if you are worried about protein, quinoa is a great source as it is a REAL whole grain. Elle isn't much of a meat fan, so I try to mix in quinoa and other protein sources as much as I can. Quinoa is my fav, and I make a big batch ahead of time and it keeps in the fridge all week to add to different dishes (it's also my go-to homemade breakfast cereal!)
I buy a Broccoli Stir Fry from Whole Foods from the produce department. It contains broccoli, Zucchini, yellow squash, Red onion, red bell pepper, orange bell pepper, green bell pepper, and sugar snap peas. (What a colorful combination!) It's all cut and ready to go - the reason I usually make this on Tuesdays!
I simply stir fry the veggies in olive oil in a large pan. While that is sautéing, I make my very own teriyaki sauce:
I combine 3/4 cup water, 2 tbsp honey, 1 tsp ginger and 1/4 cup soy sauce in a small pot, bring to a boil, then simmer on low until I'm ready to add it to the veggies.
{I realized tonight that I was completely out of my soy sauce, so I made this recipe without it, added a little more honey and Elle still loved it. It just added some sweetness to the veggies}
After my veggies are ready, I add the teriyaki sauce and let sauté a little longer, then I combine the veggies in a large bowl with quinoa and mix it up, then plate it up!
That's it!
I actually had so much fun eating with Elle tonight. She loved the texture of the sugar snap peas as they crunched; she actually laughed when eating them and wanted the ones off of my plate! I was NOT saying no to that! She even thought it was 'cool' when she would pick up a yellow squash to eat, then I would pick one up to eat, and we ate it at the same time. No clue why she thought it was so cool that she was eating the same things as mommy, but I kept it up (esp since I was trying to rush her a bit).
I really hope you try out this recipe with success! I'd love to know how it goes and PLEASE share any variations you come up with.
Let me leave you with this - Dinner doesn't have to be gourmet in order to be healthy and nourishing. Simplicity is better, and with a recipe like this... easy too! With a little education on what is REAL, whole food, you can be creative and make it work for you and your family, all while NOT relying on the processed junk!
