I have been cooking vegetarian meals with my family for over 20 years, and I love sharing my delicious creations!

Sweet and Spicy

I love combining random sweet and spicy flavors, whether it's cocoa and cinnamon in my chili, or a cheese plate with pepper jack and a dollop of orange marmalade. So whenever I make a stir-fry dish, it usually combines spicy flavors such as garlic, black pepper, and cayenne with sweet ingredients like brown sugar, honey, and basil. Then I tie it all together with the umami flavor of soy sauce and the richness of butter.

Cleaning Out the Fridge

It's a couple of days before payday, and we're running a little low on groceries—so I threw this dish together with the rest of the veggies I had in my fridge and freezer. We have been trying very hard to follow a budget and only go grocery shopping once a week on Friday, so by Wednesday I usually have to start getting pretty creative!

1 / 4

Cook Time

Ingredients

• 10 baby carrots, chopped
• 2 sticks celery, chopped
• 1/4 white onion, chopped
• 10 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1 cup frozen broccoli
• 1 cup brown rice, cooked
• 1 tbsp ginger, minced
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 4 tbsp butter
• 1 egg
• Pinch basil
• Pinch cayenne
• 1 cup vegetable broth

Instructions

1. Heat 2 tbsp butter in a large skillet.
2. Add onion, celery, carrots, and garlic and cook over medium-high heat until softened, about 10 minutes.
3. Add broccoli, ginger, 1 tbsp soy sauce, and honey and cook until vegetables begin to brown, about 10 more minutes.
4. Deglaze pan with vegetable broth and add brown sugar, cayenne, and basil. Cook until sauce thickens and move vegetables to one side.
5. Add remaining butter to the other side of the skillet and heat.
6. Add cooked rice and egg and remaining soy sauce and fry in butter for about 5 minutes.
7. Serve rice topped with glazed vegetables.

Cracking the Egg

Season to Taste

I personally love the combination of cayenne and basil I discovered recently, but I know those flavors aren't for everyone. I didn't put an exact amount for those spices, because I tend to like things very spicy and was afraid I would overdo it! Please comment below if you have any suggestions and let me know how you made this dish your own! Happy cooking!

© 2018 Molly Adams