15 Minute Veggie Stir Fry

15 minute meal whaaattt?!?

“Is that even possible?” you may ask. And let me just tell you, dear friends, it is a possibility with very delicious results. At least the results of this veggie stir fry are delicious…very delicious. I am a fan of quick and easy meals, and I am a fan of vegetarian meals.

There is something that is just so satisfying about creating such a delicious vegetarian dish that you don’t even notice the missing meat. It’s more challenging to create recipes like this, which means it’s more fun! My wallet also appreciates the efforts…seriously, your weekly groceries will become SO much cheaper if you only eat meat once or twice a week.

If you absolutely HATE vegetarian recipes and need, need, neeeeed meat in your life, just add some diced up chicken, pork, or beef to this stir fry. But I’m telling you, people…you really don’t need it. This is a wonderful dish all on its own. Veggies are so yummy if you cook them right and add the right flavors.

Speaking of flavor….FLAAAVVVOORRRR. This sauce = pure flava.

Made up of soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, veggie stock, cornstarch, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, and pepper flakes, it thickens up in the pan and coats the veggies perfectly, adding unreal flava flave.

You will be in ❤️. Promise.

Yay for delicious, veggie packed, healthy, and FAST as lightning dinners for those busy weeknights. Woop woop!

So…my life lately. My mind has been a huge, jumbled mess…I will give you a few examples.

Number one: It was last Thursday – 8:30 pm. I had kept score at a basketball game earlier that evening and was still at work finishing up sub plans for the next day (I had work off on Friday so I could fly to North Carolina for a wedding). Let me reiterate one point…it was 8:30 pm…no one is ever at the school that late. The basketball game had ended an hour and a half ago. So I grab a worksheet and head to the work room to make a bunch of copies for the next day. Make the copies. Walk back to my room. Turn the door handle, and it’s LOCKED. Locked.

It is just me and the papers outside my door. My keys, phone, wallet, purse, coat, EVERYTHING are still locked inside my classroom. My heart just dropped so hard. I was beginning to panic because I had basically zero options. Walk down the street to the gas station to use their phone? Can’t do that – have no one’s numbers memorized except people who don’t even live in Kansas. Get a cab home? Can’t do that – don’t have any money to pay the driver and don’t have my military ID to get on base.

My only option was to sleep at the school, which would have caused me to miss my flight the next morning. So I am just walking through the school, trying to figure out what I’m going to do, and I see the athletic director (Denny) still in his office!!! I don’t think I have ever been happier to see anyone in my life. I ran into the office and literally laid on his floor (not exaggerating – I was overwhelmed with excitement) and told him how ecstatic I was that he was still at school. So he gave me his keys, I unlocked my classroom, and was on my way home ten minutes later. THANK GOD he was still there…whew.

Number two: This one is so much worse. Like I said, I visited North Carolina this past weekend for a wedding. My friend and I had to wake up and leave at 7 am on Sunday morning so I could catch my flight back home. So we woke up and drove two hours to Charlotte where she dropped me off. I walk into the airport, head to the kiosk to print my boarding pass, and a message pops up on the screen saying “It is too late to check in for your flight.”

I panic (once again), and check my itinerary on Travelocity to find that my flight was leaving in ten minutes. I thought my flight was leaving an hour later. My heart sunk to my feet (ONCE AGAIN). I waited in the customer service line and embarrassingly explained what happened. The lady was pretty nice and told me she would roll me over to the next flight. All she needed was my ID. I pulled out my wallet, opened it, and there was no ID. I LEFT IT IN ASHEVILLE. I don’t know how much you have flown in the past, but you can do nothing without an ID.

I looked at her and was like…”I don’t have my ID.” She said, “Well…you need an ID.” I looked down and saw my military ID and asked if that would work, and she said yes. SO HAPPY. I had no idea that military IDs worked just as well as a driver’s license.

So other than traveling several hours longer than I had planned initially, the day ended up turning out just fine despite those two COLOSSAL mishaps.

Number three: I forgot my laptop, so I couldn’t post this delicious stir fry while waiting around in the airport for many hours on Friday. Hence why this recipe is being posted today instead of last week. Sorry! This one is much less significant but still documents my scatter brained-ness.

I don’t know what has been up with my brain the last few weeks, but I think the answer to whatever ails me is copious amounts of this veggie stir fry…what do you think?

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This recipe is gluten free

If you make this or any of my other recipes, be sure to Instagram it and hashtag #thegarlicdiaries!

In the mood for more quick and easy meals? Check these out:

Simple Kale Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette

Baked Garlic Parmesan Chicken Strips

Fancy Shmancy Grilled Cheese