I may or may not have mentioned that I’ve been working with some fellow students on a low-literacy cookbook for cancer patients. I am writing the chapter on loss of appetite, which includes some recipes for easy-to-make foods that allow you to get a lot of nutritional bang for your buck. After finalizing the line-up this morning, I got to work making a shopping list and getting to work.

Tonight, Chris let me test out one of the recipes on him for dinner. I threw together this Vegetable Cashew Stir-Fry with pretty minimal effort and was really happy with how it came out. I might still have a few minor tweaks to make and variations to tag on, but so far so good.

Vegetable Cashew Stir-Fry

Ingredients:

½ cup brown rice

1 ¼ cup water

1-2 tbsp canola oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp minced ginger

¼ cup soy sauce or to taste

2 cups white mushrooms

½ cup cashews

1 head broccoli, chopped into florets

1 green and 1 orange bell pepper, sliced

1/3 cup edamame, shelled (optional)

½ cup bean sprouts (optional)

¼ cup grated carrot

¼ cup onion, chopped

½ cup water chestnuts (optional)

Scallion, chopped

1 tbsp sesame oil

Directions:

Boil water in a small saucepan. Add rice and stir. Lower heat and cover. Simmer rice for 30 minutes.

In a large skillet or other big pot, heat canola oil over medium heat and add ginger and garlic. cook for one minute.

Add mushrooms and cashews to pan and sauté for two minutes. Lower heat and add soy sauce. Cover pot and let simmer about 10 minutes.

In a separate pot or in microwave, steam broccoli, peppers, edamame, sprouts, carrot, onion, and water chestnuts.

Add cooked vegetables to mushrooms and cashews.

Add scallions.

Stir and let simmer on low for 5 minutes.

Finish off with sesame oil.

Serve over rice and enjoy.

Serves 2-3