Sweet and Spicy Stir Fry

Waaaay Better Than Takeout: Sweet and Spicy Coconut Oil Stir Fry

Sweet and Spicy Stir Fry

I’ve written about my love for coconut oil before, especially for stir fries. Not only does it smell ridiculously amazing while you’re cooking with it, but it’s one of the only oils that’s truly stable enough to handle high-heat cooking (aka… stir fries, what up!) and its fats are more easily metabolized in the body, so it’s great for your heart! So let’s get cracking on this sooooo-much-better-than-takeout meal, shall we?

Tonight I got home from work and I was not. feelin’. it. I had a long weekend of partying at a music festival (I know, poor me) and the last thing I wanted to do was cook. I was fantasizing about some takeout, or at the very least a trip to the nearest Whole Foods salad bar. But my man Rob surprised me with a plethora of organic vegetables from his trip to the new Austin Trader Joe’s this afternoon, and if you know Trader Joe’s, you know that its produce doesn’t stay well for long. (Love you TJs, but it’s true!) The meal I whipped up for us was even better, and possibly quicker, than ordering from our nearest Chinese place. And it’s definitely healthier. All it took was a little bit of coconut oil, spices, and Chinese sauces (thick, sweet hoisin and oyster sauce, which doesn’t really taste like oysters but just adds a super salty depth of flavor).

Sweet & Spicy Coconut Oil Stir Fry

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Easy Broccoli Stir Fry

Ridiculously Easy (and Awesome) Broccoli Stir Fry

Easy Broccoli Stir Fry

As anyone who has had the “luck” to be around me recently could tell you, I’m about to go on vacation! To Europe. I’m pumped. I haven’t been out of the country for three years (except Mexico, which hardly counts) so the anticipation is killing me. Know what else is killing me? My finances. Iceland and the UK are not exactly cheap, especially since I’ll want to live it up while I’m traveling, so I’ve been trying really hard not to burn through my money at restaurants and bars as usual. For some people this might not be much of a feat, but for me it’s extremely difficult, since those two types of establishments represent the cornerstone of my social life. Sigh.

So that leaves me to do a lot of cooking at home, which I also love of course, but groceries can really add up as well. In the past couple weeks I’ve really been focusing on simple, healthy meals at home. It’s kind of a fun challenge; how can I make not-really-boring dinners for my boyfriend Rob and I while still staying on, if not under, my travel savings budget? (At least I try to tell myself it’s “fun.” Once again… sigh.) Anyway, this is beginning to sound like the intro to Rachael Ray’s $40 a Day or something, so let’s just get to the point.

One solution I’ve been really into lately is the stir fry. Cheap and healthy, this meal has become a mainstay in our household, and I’ve practically perfected my recipe. It’s easy, quick, and tastes absolutely awesome. If you’re unfamiliar with any of these ingredients, just (a) check out your local Asian market, and if you don’t have a local Asian market, (b) check out the ethnic and/or health food section of your grocery store.

Ridiculously Easy Broccoli Stir Fry

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