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I must admit that when I found the original version of this recipe, I thought – Really? Smoked Sausage Stir-fry, huh?  I mean, it has things my kids would like.  Maybe it’s one of those dishes that you coax them into eating because you can tell them they’re eating hot dogs?

I know.  It sounds questionable.  But roll with me on this one.  While smoked sausage was never the protein I typically associated with stir-fry…. it also lends itself to the whole sweet/salty combo (which is always awesome!) Bonus factor – this dish is actually quite healthy.

But here’s the deal, it’s also totally adaptable to whatever your tastes may be.  Can’t get your head around the kielbasa?  Use ground turkey.  Not a quinoa fan?  The original recipe called for macaroni noodles.

Nope.  That’s not a joke.  So try brown or white rice, if that’s also not up your alley.

To be fair, if we’re all honest with ourselves, who doesn’t love kielbasa?  Admit it, it’s a bit of guilty pleasure.  Even I sometimes have trouble copping to the fact  that sautéed smoked sausage tossed in, say, maple syrup, might be one of my favorite breakfast foods.  But I digress.

Go ahead and mix that already smoky, salty goodness with a layer of soy, honey, brown sugar and garlic, and you will have my husband’s heart right in your hand.  (Well, okay, hopefully you have your significant other’s heart in your hand, but you get the gist.)

 

Truly, this sauce is one of his favorites.  Mix together garlic, soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger brown sugar and honey in an extra-large measuring cup and set it aside.  It’s your cup of flavor, and you will be returning to this.

While quinoa typically calls to be cooked in water, I am a fan of cooking it in chicken broth.  My husband’s grandmother shared a trade secret with me once: infuse flavor wherever you can.  This would be a terrible opportunity to waste. Bring the broth to a boil, and cook the quinoa for 12-15 minutes – per the package instructions.quinoa stir-fry

Meanwhile, get started on chopping your veggies.  What you use, like other parts of this recipe, is a matter of taste. The carrots and cabbage are original to the recipe I started with.  I added diced red and orange bell peppers in this version, because they scream stir-fry to me.  You could also branch out and add broccoli, pea pods, zucchini or mushrooms.

That is if, unlike me, you can get away with putting mushrooms or zucchini in front of your children.  Or if your household is child-free, and you don’t have to watch them slide down a chair and lay like a corpse on the floor in protest.  It’s happened.

quinoa stir-frySo let’s get on to stuff that won’t cause controversy.  Coat a medium saute pan with olive oil and add crushed red pepper.  The pepper flakes will start to release some of their flavor as they heat up.  You can then toss in your sliced sausage and allow it to brown a bit in the pan.

Add your selection of veggies here and let them soften. When your quinoa is done with its cooking process, drain it (if necessary) and add it to the saute pan.

Grab your lovely cup-o-flavor that has been biding its time, and pour in with the rest of your ingredients.  Toss everything together, and serve – marveling at the fact that you have catered to everyone’s pallet.  Your parent/spouse/human of year award will arrive in the mail shortly.