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Dinner Together: Stir-Fry Vegetables with Almonds

This stir fry can be adapted for vegetarians, people who are gluten-intolerant, or anyone following a gluten-free diet.

Because many people are steering their diets away from gluten or meat or dairy, it can be hard to find a dish that satisfies everyone for a dinner together. No one wants to play short-order cook just to have family or friends over for a meal.

Instead of making separate dishes for those with special diets, try pulling out a wok for this fast, satisfying and healthy stir-fry. (Of course, a large frying pan will work just fine, too.)

This stir fry is so versatile you can adapt it for anyone who will be gracing your table. As written, this recipe is perfect for vegetarians, people who are gluten-intolerant, or anyone following a gluten-free diet. Toss in the tofu if you like it. Skip it if you don’t.

While it is substantial enough without meat, you can easily stir fry some beef, chicken or shrimp separately for anyone who would like to toss those into their share of colorful vegetables.

It includes a healthy dose of different veggies, but feel free to substitute or toss in something you have in the vegetable drawer. We added zucchini half-moons to the mix when we recently made it at our house.

You’ll have to spend some time chopping and preparing vegetables, but all of that can be done ahead of time. It takes just 10 minutes or so in a hot wok to get this dinner on the table.

Serve it with some brown rice, soba noodles or another starch on the side if that’s what you like, but the combination of tofu and whole almonds make for a pretty substantial dish already. Soy sauce can be easily substituted for the tamari if you have that on hand.

Stir-Fry Vegetables with Almonds

From “The Blood Sugar Solution 10-Day Detox Diet,” by Dr. Mark Hyman

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon sesame oil

2 stalks celery, thinly sliced on the bias

1 onion, cut in half and thinly sliced

2 carrots, peeled and cut into half-moons

2 cups broccoli florets or sliced bok choy

1 red or yellow pepper, seeded and sliced into strips

16 ounces organic firm tofu, cubed (optional)

2-inch piece gingerroot, peeled and julienned

2 cloves garlic, sliced

1 jalapeño, seeded and thinly sliced

6 mushrooms, thinly sliced

1/2 cup whole raw almonds

1/4 cup water, or more if needed

2 tablespoons low-sodium, gluten-free tamari

1/2 cup whole basil leaves

3 scallions, thinly sliced on the bias

In a large sauté pan or wok, heat the olive oil and sesame oil over medium-high heat. Add celery, onions and carrots and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Add the broccoli or bok choy, peppers and tofu, if using, and stir-fry another 2 minutes. Add the ginger, garlic, jalapeño and mushrooms and cook for 2 more minutes. Add the almonds, a little of the water as needed, and the tamari and continue to stir-fry until the vegetables are cooked but still crunchy. Toss with the basil and scallions just before serving.

Yield: 4 servings

Approximate nutrition per serving (from the book for 1 1/4 cups vegetables with 1/3 cup tofu): 271 calories, 18 grams fat (2 grams saturated), 15 grams protein, 18 grams carbohydrate, no cholesterol, 6 grams dietary fiber, 408 milligrams sodium.

Correspondent Lorie Hutson is the former editor of The Spokesman-Review’s food section. Reach her at loriehutson@gmail.com.