Tired of the same old oatmeal or smoothie? A quick vegetable stir fry with a blend of plant and animal proteins can be a convenient way to get a couple servings of color into your morning alongside satisfying fats and proteins.

Eating well to balance hormones and build muscle can be simple. This stir fry with detox promoting, high-fiber cabbage, bone-strengthening sesame oil + seeds, and muscle-building chicken and soy is an excellent choice for breakfast or lunch post-workout.

Soy and chicken both contain branched chain amino acids, specifically used by our bodies for muscle growth. Enjoy organic, non-GMO soy in its whole form—edamame, or as a sprouted tofu or fermented tempeh. Choose quality, pasture-raised chicken whenever possible.

While this recipe is designed to be easy enough to prepare in the moment, you can make a bigger batch and freeze it into portions. Your future self will thank you.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 2 large chicken breasts (1 teaspoon salt)
• 12 oz. frozen shelled edamame
• 1/2 medium red cabbage cored & shredded
• 1 Tablespoon sesame oil
• 2 Tablespoon sesame seeds
• 1 Tablespoon tamari
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1.5 inch piece ginger
• 2 Tablespoon avocado oil

Optional vegetables:

• 2 carrots
• 1 red bell pepper
• 2-3 sliced scallions
• ½ bunch chopped cilantro

Instructions:

1. Cut chicken breasts into bite sized strips and toss with 1 teaspoon salt. Let the chicken sit with the salt refrigerated for 30 minutes or overnight.
2. Cook shelled edamame. Bring 6 cups of heavily salted water to a boil. Pour in an entire bag of edamame and return to a boil. Let cook for 4-5 minutes, drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside.
3. Cook chicken. Heat a pan with 1 tablespoon of oil on medium high. Once the oil is hot, gently add chicken pieces to the pan, allowing it to sear for a minute or two. Add in half of the minced garlic, ginger, and 1-2 teaspoons tamari. Stir the chicken and let it cook all the way through. Once completely cooked, remove chicken from the pan and set aside.
4. Reheat the pan, add another 1 tablespoon of oil. Once hot, add in shredded cabbage, the remainder of the garlic and ginger, 1-2 teaspoons tamari, and a sprinkle of salt. Optional carrots and/or bell pepper can also be added at this time. Cook the vegetables until they are tender with a slight crunch.
5. Once the vegetables are cooked, turn down the heat and add in cooked chicken, sesame seeds, cooked edamame, and sesame oil. Cook gently for a minute for the flavors to mingle and warm up. Garnish with chopped cilantro and sliced scallions.