During the holiday season, I'm always on the hunt for a quick, healthy meal between epic indulgences. With that in mind, I showed up at the farmers market this weekend looking for the best and the brightest farmers and vendors had to offer in order to prepare a wholesome, all-local option for market-goers to try. I found that keeping it simple, with fresh ingredients, all from the market, yielded a nutritious meal perfect for a Meatless Monday.
With the basic bones of the dish in place, there are any number of ways to switch things up to keep it interesting. Try a little minced garlic or grated fresh ginger tossed in with the broccoli. Swap out the scallions for chopped shallots. Peel and chop the broccoli stems and give them a few extra minutes at the beginning of the stirfry before adding scallions, sweet peppers and mushrooms to up the antioxidant ante. Omit the salt for a no sodium version, but give a finishing squeeze of lemon juice, a good substitute for salt. You might even dust the finished dish with a little freshly grated Parmesan cheese or to keep it vegan, nutritional yeast, which can be found in bulk sections and/or health food areas of your supermarket.
This dish was even simple enough for my brother to try! He saw my post from the market on Instagram, and tackled it that evening, adding a genius dash of soy sauce. And he doesn't even cook! (Also, aren't we totally 21st century siblings?)
So easy and so satisfying. Give it a try! Find my Texas Farmers' Markets sources, below, if you're in the Austin area, or seek out a farmers market in your own community to find the freshest food local farmers have to offer.
Farmers Market Favorite Broccoli Mushroom Stir Fry
2 +/- tablespoons lemon infused olive oil
I bunch scallions sliced
3 Italian sweet peppers, chopped
16 oz crimini, shitaki, and or button mushrooms, sliced (a mix, or one of your choosing)
1 head broccoli, broken into small florets
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or to taste)
Salt, to taste
Cover the bottom of a large skillet or wok with a scant layer of lemon-infused olive oil. Bring to a shimmering heat over medium high flame. Transfer scallions, chopped sweet peppers, and mushrooms to hot pan (listen for the sizzle) and cook, stirring frequently, until mushrooms are limp. Add broccoli to pan (adding more olive oil if necessary to keep vegetables from sticking) mix well, and stirring occasionally, cook until broccoli is crisp-tender. Season with hot pepper flakes and salt. Serve at once.
Sources:
Lemon Infused Olive Oil-- Texas Hill Country Olive Co.
Sweet peppers and broccoli-- Johnson's Backyard Garden
Scallions and red pepper flakes-- Gray's Gardens, Buda
Mixed mushrooms-- Kitchen Pride
I'll be back at the Texas Farmers' Markets later this month, sharing seasonal bites for holiday entertaining at TFM Lakeline on December 16, and TFM Mueller, December 17, 2017. I'd love to see you there!
