Of course, while fresh everything is always preferable, there are things you should try to have on hand at all times for these types of situations. Things like spices and dried herbs or the occasional canned food item. Minced garlic in a jar in the fridge for when you run out of fresh is great for any style meal you want to cook.
Today, I came up with a wonderful, vegetarian, stir fry. I had half of an eggplant left in the fridge (thankfully, because stir fry is awesome with eggplant). I had a handful of mushrooms and one carrot. There was half of a yellow onion with a tiny piece of red onion. I also had about 4 big pieces of broccoli in a bag that was used for salad and a leek that I never got around to using in a soup that I had planned to make. And thankfully, there was a lone can of pineapples in the pantry as well as some red chili paste that I have been wanting to use.
Some of these things might be things you'd never happen to have on hand, but that's okay! Any vegetables can work, and you can certainly used canned vegetables. Some good ones to think about keeping are water chestnuts, bamboo shoots, corn or baby corn, and mushrooms.
Now, I am a Filipino American which means I always have a good supply of rice, soy sauce, and patis (fish sauce).
Once you figure out what's in your pantry or fridge, all you have to do is stir fry it all together in a little bit of oil (I use coconut oil) and add some spices, herbs, soy sauce, and fish sauce. Be sure to get your rice going before you cook the vegetables since that will take a little longer.
Here's my resulting recipe:
Vegetarian Eggplant Stir Fry
Half of an eggplant, cut into cubes
Half of an onion diced
Tbsp minced garlic
1 carrot, peeled and diced
Handful of broccoli
1 leek, just the white sliced
1 can of pineapple (chopped into bite size pieces)
3 tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp fish sauce (optional)
1 tbsp red curry paste (or red pepper flakes will work for that little bit of spice)
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 C of rice or quinoa
2 tbsp oil for stir frying
Heat oil in skillet, add eggplant and stir fry until pieces are browned, then set aside. Add garlic, onions, and carrots. Add red curry paste with a tbsp of water, along with the rest of your spices. Cook for about 5 minutes. Add the rest of the uncooked vegetables and the soy sauce and fish sauce. Stir fry everything for about 5 more minutes and then add the eggplant and pineapple. Cook just long enough to warm eggplant and pineapple, be careful not to over cook or eggplant will get mushy. Serve over cooked rice.
