Vegan Citrus-Soy Winter Root Vegetable Stir Fry!

It seems like this is going to be an everlasting winter.  Even though we still have at least one more month of winter, I am sure glad it will be March in a few days!  If I hear or read the words "February Freeze" one more time, I may lose my marbles!

With all this wintry weather talk, I figured I should take advantage of the abundance of root vegetables! While of course you have many root vegetables to choose from, I chose to go with purple fingerling potatoes, celery root, parsnips, turnips, carrots and lotus root.  All of these are fairly easy to find at most grocery stores, except for maybe the lotus root.  I found this crunchy, starchy root veg already sliced and packaged at my favorite Asian Market here in Chicago.

Unlike the typical stir fry that just uses a bit of oil and soy sauce, I wanted to spruce things up a bit.  By adding in fresh orange juice, orange zest and a touch of agave nectar creates a slightly sweet and beautifully bright flavor, making it a perfect match to the hearty root veggies!

Vegan Citrus-Soy Winter Root Vegetable Stir Fry!       

Ingredients:  (yields 4 servings)

1 celery root, peeled and cut into cubes
1 turnip, peeled and cut into cubes
2-3 parsnips, peeled and chopped
2 large carrots, peeled and chopped
8 slices of lotus root
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
2 scallions, chopped (green part only)
1/4 c tamari or soy sauce
1 orange, juiced
1 tbsp orange zest
1/2 tbsp agave nectar
1/2 tbsp sesame oil
1/2 tbsp chili oil
1 tbsp sesame seeds
handful of pea shoot for garnish (optional)

Directions:

After all your prep is done,  whisk together tamari or soy sauce, orange juice and zest, and the agave nectar.  Set aside.

Heat oil on medium-high in a wok or large saute pan.  Add in minced garlic and ginger and saute for about 1-2 minutes.  Add in all the root vegetables, except for the lotus root and saute for about 6-8 minutes, or until you can cut the vegetables easily.  You may need to add in a splash or two of water during this process.  Add in lotus root and stir in the citrus soy, stirring frequently.  Add more soy sauce or orange juice if necessary!  Toss in sesame seeds and serve!