Seasonal Sweet & Sour Veggie Stir Fry

Vegan Recipe, courtesy Jill Nussinow, MS, RD, Veggie Queen, from her cookbook, 'The Veggie Queen - Vegetables Get The Royal Treatment'

Serves 4: 'Add tofu, tempeh or seitan to make this seasonal stir fry a quick and easy main dish, and serve over rice, quinoa or noodles (prepare ahead).

Use the freshest available vegetables. I almost always have carrots, onion and broccoli around, yet I have also made it with cauliflower or Romanesco broccoli in the winter. In the summer, I use many varieties of squash or green beans. It's easiest to control the timing if you stick to no more than 4 vegetables.' - Jill Nussinow, The Veggie Queen

Ingredients:

• 2 tsp oil (optional)
• 1/2 - 1 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced
• 2 carrots, cut on diagonal
• 1 medium onion, sliced lengthwise
• 3 cups broccoli florets
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 Tblsp reduced sodium tamari, divided
• 1 Tblsp rice or cider vinegar
• 1 Tblsp Sucanat, sugar, or a few drops of liquid stevia
• 2 Tblsp water or vegetable broth
• 1 Tblsp arrowroot or cornstarch
• 2 green onions, chopped for garnish
• Optional: Sesame seeds for garnish

Directions:

1. Place a wok or large sauté pan over medium high heat
2. Add oil, if using, and ginger. Let this cook for 1 minute, then add carrots and stir-fry for 2 minutes, adding water or stock, a tsp at a time, if they begin to stick
3. Add the onion and stir-fry until the onion turns translucent, about 5 minutes
4. Add broccoli and garlic, and stir-fry with 1 Tblsp reduced sodium tamari
5. Whisk remaining tamari, vinegar, Sucanat, water or broth, and arrowroot or cornstarch, in a small bowl
6. remove pan from the heat, pour in the tamari mixture and stir well. Put the pan back on low heat and cook until sauce begins to thicken
7. Remove from the heat and serve over quinoa, rice or noodles
8. Sprinkle with green onions and sesame seeds