Six Veggie Stir-Fry

Lets just say, I'm writing this with remnants of this meal in my mouth and I'm contemplating not brushing my teeth for a couple days. I make stir-fry type dishes about once a week. Its fun to experiment with the basic concept of a stir-fry and make it different each time. Broccoli is a must. Peppers...always. The rest really depends on what looked tasty when I got the groceries last. Also, I finally remembered to get some chinese five spice seasoning...and I'm glad I did. Its a simple mix of a few spices...five, go figure. But the levels of flavor are complex and satisfying. Worth a purchase if you plan on making chinese food regularly. Anyways, here's my latest meal...hope it's inspiring you to try something new perhaps!

INGREDIENTS:
sesame oil
1/2 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbls crushed red pepper
8 stalks of asparagus, chopped
3 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 large head of broccoli, chopped
1 tbls chinese five spice
3 tbls lite soy sauce
2 tbls hoisin sauce
3 cups of spinach

*In a skillet, heat up oil over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, and crushed red pepper. Cook for 3 mins.  Then add in veggies, except for the spinach, and work in, getting all the veggies covered in a bit of oil. cook for about 5 mins.
*Put in the five spice, soy sauce, and hoisin. Make sure all veggies are again, covered in the sauce. Cook for another couple minutes. When veggies reach desired tenderness, throw in the spinach. Stir until it wilts. Serve with brown rice.

Asparagus Stir-Fry

Day 1! Pretty sure I wont be counting everyday off like this, but the first day is kind of exciting, I gotta admit. Most of these posts will be dinner meals, with the occasional snack and dessert mixed in. Well, I guess I take it back, I put no parameters or limitations on this food blog. But for today, it was dinner. And it was smashing!!! I adore asian style food and this fit in the category of stir-fry for sure. I got the inspiration from here, and made a few minor changes based on what I had in my kitchen. Not to mention bumping up the recipe so that it would suffice for the needs of our family....aka dinner for myself and Al with leftovers for Al's lunch the next day, at least. I made some basic brown rice to go along with this dish. I am honestly considering it as one of my top five meals that ever cooked. It had so many levels of flavor and great textures. Al was also a fan. There was only enough left overs for one, and I am graciously giving it to him for his lunch...he should honestly give me a really good foot rub or do the dishes for that kind of treatment. This was a wicked awesome meal, will for sure make again.

INGREDIENTS:

3(or so) tbls sesame oil

1 14oz pack of extra firm tofu, cut into pieces

2 shallots, chopped

1 inch of ginger, finely chopped

1 teas crushed red pepper

1 bunch of asparagus, cut into 1 inch pieces

pinch of salt

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1/2 cup toasted cashews

2 cups spinach

zest and juice from a lime

3 tbls hoisin sauce

mint

basil

*Heat the oil in a skillet or wok over med-high. When oil is hot drop in the tofu and cook until golden brown on both sides. Remove tofu and set aside. 

*Add some more oil into the pan and once its hot add shallots, ginger, red pepper, asparagus, and salt. Cook for 2 minutes and then add the garlic, cashews and spinach. Once the spinach wilts, add the tofu back in. Then zest the lime and add its juice. After that stir in the hoisin sauce and let it all come together for a couple minutes.

*Take off the heat and add in the mint and basil to your liking. Stir & serve.