8-12ozground pork or beef (or other ground meat), ½-3/4 lb
1 ½cupsmushroomscut into slices (fancy mushrooms like shiitake are great here, but any will do.)
½mediumonionsliced into wedges or diced
1cupcarrotsjulienned, or cut into match sticks, or grated*
3Tablespoonsgrated fresh ginger
2clovesgarlicminced or grated
4cupschopped leafy greens bok choy, spinach, kale, collards, chard, etc.
3Tablespoonstamari or soy sauce, divided (or for Paleo, use 2 T coconut aminos and 1 T fish sauce)
½Tablespoonvinegarrice wine vinegar, white, or apple cider
¼ -½teaspooncayenne powder or red pepper flakes
garnish: sesame seeds and green onions
Instructions
Cook rice according to instructions on your package. I like to use a rice cooker. If using a pot on the stove, I recommend rinsing your rice 2-4 times, then placing in a large pot. I use the finger method (see above) to measure the rice, which usually comes to about 1 ½ cups of water per 1 cup of rice. Cover with a lid and bring to a boil, then reduce to a lower simmer for 25 minutes. Remove from heat (but don't touch the lid!) and let "steam" for another 10 minutes off the heat before serving, if time allows.
Heat a large pan or wok over high heat. Dump in the ground pork/beef and let cook, undisturbed for a few minutes until it is dark brown on the bottom. Flip and repeat on the other side.
When the pork is cooked through, add 1 Tablespoon soy sauce and break up the meat, cooking until it is browned on all sides. Remove from pan and set aside.
Reduce heat to medium-high. Drain off most of the oil, leaving enough to cook the vegetables (about a tablespoon or so). If you have lean meat, you might need to add a Tablespoon of butter or coconut oil. Add the onions and mushrooms and sauté until the mushrooms are a little brown.
Add the carrots and cook for about 5 minutes more. (Note: if using grated carrot here, just add with the next step with the leafy greens, no need to cook for the extra 5 minutes.)
Add the ginger, garlic, cayenne powder, rice vinegar, 1 Tablespoon tamari/soy sauce, and the leafy greens. Cook until wilted, then mix in the meat.
Taste, add remaining 1 Tablespoon soy sauce if needed, and adjust seasoning as desired. Serve over rice and enjoy!
Notes
You can use basically any vegetables for this, including bell peppers, green beans, and broccoli. Stir fries and rice bowls are great for using up any old vegetables in your fridge!
I’ve also served this with both soy-sauce roasted kabocha squash and sweet potatoes instead of the rice, so feel free to keep it grain-free with some delicious roasted starches!
To amp up the flavor: add sesame oil, fish sauce, coconut aminos, sriracha, or sambal oolek!