Happiness happens all the time, and if we don’t pay attention, we might just miss it. Unlike the ‘goal-oriented’ perception of happiness that permeates our culture, I’d like to propose the ‘flavor-oriented’ view of happiness where being happy isn’t a state of mind or a destination that one trudges toward. Instead, happiness is a flavor, another ingredient in the big smorgasbord of our lives. And if we’re the ‘chefs’ of our own destiny, then we can add whatever flavor we’d like and call it happiness in the dishes and experiences we cook up for ourselves. Then happiness becomes something that you can savor like the sweetness of pineapple combined with earthy taste of the coconut curry in this stir fry.
Sprinkle in some happiness in your day!
Ingredients:
Fresh pineapple cut into chunks (frozen works too, just thaw it in the stir fry)
1 bag TJ’s organic broccoli shreds
1 Napa cabbage (or bok choy or red/green cabbage) - 2-3 cups
1 cup of Wild Rice (FYI - 1/3 cup will rice has 7 grams of protein)
2-3 Cups of water or vegetable broth used to cook rice
2-3 colors of peppers - (Red, Yellow, and Orange) - cut into smaller pieces
1 can of Coconut Milk (15 oz.) Reduced-fat or full-fat (depends on your tush)
1/2 - 1 cup of Cashews (pieces or whole)
Curry powder 2-3 tsps or to taste
Chili flakes or chili oil (to taste)
Cinnamon, salt, pepper (to taste)
2-3 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
2-3 teaspoons soy sauce or Bragg’s Amino Acid
1/2 teaspoon honey
Instructions:
Cut pineapple into chunks, set aside
Cook the rice on the stove or in an Insta-pot
Steam broccoli (with a steamer or in an inch of water in a pan), then line the bowl
Steam the Napa cabbage or Bok Choy in the same pan, then arrange in bowl with broccoli
Stir fry the peppers with a drop of sesame oil on low heat
Add the coconut milk, curry powder and any other seasonings. Bring to a boil and reduce the coconut milk by about a quarter. Cover and simmer
Add the pineapple so it takes on the other flavors
For the caramelized cashews: In a smaller sauce pan, brown the cashews with sesame oil and honey over medium-low heat. Turn down (or off) the heat and add a little soy sauce. You can also add a little cayenne pepper. This crunchy topping tastes like candy with a kick!
Arrange everything on the same big bowl, sprinkle on the cashews last