Vegetables | May You Cook It!

Stir frying is a general term used to describe a Chinese cooking technique (chǎo) which involves heating a small amount of oil in a wok before adding spices then frying meat and/or vegetables while tossing the ingredients swiftly together. The term was first penned by Buwei Yang Chao in her book How to Cook and Eat Chinese and has since become a conventional description of many other Asian dishes using a similar style of cooking.

I love the tastes and spices in Chinese cooking and I particularly enjoy the light and fresh flavour of this recipe. Its good to have as a side dish but is also delicious on its own.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons sesame oil
1 tablespoon minced ginger
Sliced cuttlefish balls (optional)
about 1 cup chopped Chinese broccoli
about 1 cup chopped zucchini
about 1 cup chopped carrot
about 1 tsp fish sauce
about 2 teaspoon Shaoxing wine
1/2 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon corn starch
6 tablespoons water

Instructions

In a small bowl, combine the Shaoxing wine, sugar, water, cornstarch and fish sauce
Heat the wok and add the oil. Add the ginger and stir fry until aromatic.
Add the cuttlefish and swiftly stir fry until cooked. Add the remaining vegetables and stir quickly.
Add the sauce into the wok and stir until the sauce thickens.
Transfer the vegetables into a dish and serve immediately.

Bruschetta is an appetizer originating from 15th century Italy and is one of my favorite things to eat. Bruschetta was developed out of necessity as a way to salvage bread that was going stale. It traditionally consists of bread rubbed with garlic, then sprinkled with extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper. A variety of toppings have developed over the centuries and this recipe incorporates one of the more popular kinds outside of Italy. I loove to eat it as a snack and one of my favorite things to do is curl up with a good book, a plate of bruschetta and a cold drink. Yum!

Ingredients

Handful of fresh basil or parsely
Extra virgin olive oil
Several cloves of garlic
Handful of cherry tomatoes, chopped
1 red onion, finely chopped
Balsamic vinegar
Crusty bread cut into thick slices.

Instructions

Chop the basil or parsley, onion and tomato. Finely slice the garlic
Combine ingredients in a bowl and add approx 2 tbs balsamic vinegar and 2-3 tbs extra virgin olive oil. Set aside and allow the ingredients to marinate.
Brush the bread with extra virgin olive oil and rub with a garlic clove.
Sprinkle the bread slices liberally with salt and pepper.
Lightly toast the bread in the oven.
Add the topping onto the toasted bread and serve.