This is a nice refreshing stir-fry with a generous amount of vegetables in it. The original recipe was somewhat more fiddly about how the vegetables are cut; I've simplified it (here and as cooked) with no ill effects.

Beef & Basil Stir-Fry with Summer Vegetables

From Dish of the Day by Kate McMillan (p. 165)

Ingredients

• ¼ C soy sauce
• 3 Tbsp shaoxing wine
• 1 Tbsp honey
• 1 tsp cornstarch
• 1+1 Tbsp canola oil
• 500g thinly sliced steak, cut into ~3cm pieces
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 Tbsp ginger paste
• 2 zucchini or 1 yellow squash, cut into 1cm matchsticks or half-moons
• 2 carrots, cut into 5mm discs
• 125g sugar snap peas, trimmed and halved
• ¼ C fresh Thai basil leaves

Directions

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, shaoxing wine, honey, and cornstarch. Buffer.
2. Season the beef with salt and pepper.
3. Heat the first tablespoon of oil in a wok over high heat.
4. Add the steak and stir-fry until seared on all sides but still rare inside, ~3 minutes. Remove and buffer.
5. Add the remaining oil, the ginger, and the garlic, and stir-fry until fragrant, 30-60s.
6. Add the zucchini, carrots, and peas and stir-fry for 4 minutes.
7. Add the steak and the sauce and continue stir-frying until the sauce thickens, about 3 minutes.
8. Remove from the heat and stir in the basil leaves.

I needed a vegetable to go with my chicken stir-fry the other day and bok choy was on sale at the grocery store. The fact that this is an incredibly simple recipe didn't hurt either!

Bok Choy with Lemon and Soy

Slightly adapted from Vegetable of the Day by Kate McMillan

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp. sesame oil
• 1kg baby bok choy, thoroughly rinsed and quartered
• 3 Tbsp. light soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp. dark soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp. honey
• juice of 1 lemon

Directions

1. Heat the oil over medium heat.
2. Add the bok choy and stir-fry for a minute or so.
3. Add the soy sauces, honey, and lemon and stir-fry until bok choy is wilted and glazed with sauce.

I've spent most of the last few months flying by the seat of my pants when it comes to scheduling and meal planning. Lots of "just-in-time" compiling of food. And lots of emergency takeaway as I realize that I've run out of either time, ingredients, or energy. (Or sometimes all three.) This stir-fry was very much in that vein. I needed something that I could throw together quickly with ingredients on hand. And this happened to fit the bill. And, bonus: It was even pretty tasty!

Spicy Basil and Chicken Stir-Fry

Slightly adapted from Dish of the Day by Kate McMillan

Ingredients

• 6 Tbsp. chicken stock
• 2 Tbsp. fish sauce
• 2 tsp. brown sugar
• 1 tsp. cornstarch (cornflour)
• 2 Tbsp. canola (or other neutral) oil
• 1 bell pepper, sliced
• 2 fresh Thai or finger chilies, thinly sliced
• 2-3 coves garlic, minced
• 450g skinless boneless chicken breases, sliced
• 3/4 c. fresh basil chiffonade (preferably Thai basil)
• 3 green onions, chopped
• cooked rice, to serve

Directions

1. Combine the stick, fish sauce, sugar, and cornstarch and mix well. Set aside.
2. Heat the oil over high heat.
3. Add the bell pepper and stir-fry for 1 minute.
4. Add the chiles and garlic and stir-fry for another 20-30 seconds.
5. Add the chicken and stir-fry until no longer pink (2-4 minutes).
6. Add the basil and green onions and stir-fry for one more minute.
7. Stir the sauce and then pour it into the wok.
8. Bring to a boil and cook for 30-60 seconds longer.
9. Remove from heat and serve over rice.

Asparagus is in season! And this quick stir-fry seemed like a nice way to enjoy it while it lasts (as well as adding a little green to our plates).

Asparagus Stir-Fry

From the The Woks of Life

Ingredients

• 1/3 c. chicken stock
• 1 Tbsp. Shaoxing wine (绍兴酒)
• 2 tsp. oyster sauce
• 1/4 tsp. sugar
• 1/4 tsp. sesame oil
• 1/8 tsp. white peppercorns, ground
• 1-2 Tbsp. oil
• 450g asparagus, trimmed and sliced on the bias
• 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp. cornstarch
• 1 Tbsp. water

Directions

1. Combine the stock, wine, sugar, sesame oil, and pepper and mix well. Set aside.
2. Heat a wok or pan over medium-high heat.
3. Add the oil and swirl to coat.
4. Add the asparagus and stir-fry for a minute or two.
5. Add the garlic and the sauce and stir-fry for another 2-3 minutes.
6. Make a slurry of the cornstarch and water and add it to the pan.
7. Cook until sauce thickens (~30 seconds).

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Variations

Vegan Version

Ingredients

• 1/3 c. vegetable stock
• 1 Tbsp. Shaoxing wine (绍兴酒)
• 2 tsp. vegetarian oyster sauce
• 1/4 tsp. raw sugar
• 1/4 tsp. sesame oil
• 1/8 tsp. white peppercorns, ground
• 1-2 Tbsp. oil
• 450g asparagus, trimmed and sliced on the bias
• 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp. cornstarch
• 1 Tbsp. water

Aaron & Claire describe this as "easy" and "so simple", and as a "15-minute" recipe. I submit that this is only the case if you don't count any of the time needed to prep the sauces and the ingredients; once the mise-en-place is done, yes, it comes together very quickly and easily, but the mise-en-place is a lot! I can't argue with the results, though; it's delicious.

Compared to the original recipe, this uses more carrot, and consistently chooses shaoxing wine over mirin where the choice is given, but is otherwise unaltered.

Beef & Onion Stir-Fry

Aaron and Claire

Ingredients

• Marinade
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp shaoxing wine
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ¼ tsp white pepper, ground
• Sauce
• 5 tbsp water
• 2 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp shaoxing wine
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp chicken stock powder
• ½ tsp dark soy sauce
• Stir-Fry
• 500g chuck flap tail, steak, or similar beef, cut into thin strips
• 1+1 tbsp neutral oil, divided
• 2 large yellow onions, sliced
• 4 green onions, sliced, whites and greens divided
• 3 tbsp garlic paste
• 2 tsp ginger paste
• 1 carrot, sliced
• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil

Directions

1. Whisk together all marinade ingredients in a medium bowl.
2. Add the beef and toss thoroughly to coat. Marinate in the fridge for at least ten minutes.
3. Whisk together all sauce ingredients and set aside.
4. Do all mise-en-place before proceeding.
5. Heat the wok and add 1 tbsp of oil.
6. Add the beef in its marinade and stir-fry until comfortably seared all over. Remove and buffer.
7. Add the other tbsp of oil.
8. Add the onions and let them sit for 1-2 minutes until they start to char and soften.
9. Add garlic, ginger, and green onion whites. Stir-fry until fragrant, <1 minute.
10. Add beef, carrots, and sauce. Stir-fry until slightly thickened and heated through, 1-2 minutes.
11. Remove from heat and toss with sesame oil and green onion greens.
12. Serve over rice.

I've been a little preoccupied lately and haven't felt up to doing much meal planning or cooking. This meant that I needed to find something quick and easy to do for dinner last night. Normally my go-to for that is curry. But I've been feeling kind of curried out lately, so I decided to hit up Aaron & Claire for some ideas instead.

I ended up settling on this spicy chicken stir-fry. We were all out of doubanjiang (豆瓣酱/Sichuan spicy bean paste), but we did have Laoganma (老干妈), so I just used that instead. It's not the same. Laoganma is much more oily and salty than doubanjiang. But it makes a tasty dish nonetheless. And some people¹ find they prefer the results of dishes made with Laoganma over doubanjiang anyway. Personally, I think I still prefer the doubanjiang flavour, but this certainly got the job done.

Spicy Ground Chicken Stir-Fry

Slightly adapted from Aaron & Claire

Ingredients

Sauce

• 2 Tbsp. doubanjiang (豆瓣酱/Sichuan spicy bean paste)
• 1 Tbsp. dark soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp. oyster sauce
• 1/2 Tbsp. sugar
• 2 Tbsp. mirin
• 1 tsp. chicken bouillon powder (or dasida)
• 1/8 tsp. black peppercorns, ground

Stir-Fry

• 1 Tbsp. oil
• 500g ground chicken
• 10 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp. minced ginger or ginger paste
• 200g garlic scapes, cut into bite-sized pieces (optional)
• 450g asparagus or green beans, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 small red bell pepper or mild chile, chopped
• 1/2 Tbsp. sesame oil
• 1 Tbsp. toasted sesame seeds
• cooked rice, to serve
• fried eggs, to serve

Directions

1. Combine the doubanjiang, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, mirin, bouillon powder, and pepper. Mix well and set aside.
2. Heat a wok over high heat.
3. Drizzle in the oil and swirl to coat.
4. Add the chicken and cook until underside is browned.
5. Flip and continue to cook, breaking up as it sears, until chicken is cooked through and liquid has boiled off.
6. Add garlic, ginger, and garlic scapes (if using) and cook for 2-3 minutes.
7. Add the asparagus and bell pepper and cook for another minute or two.
8. Pour in the sauce and stir-fry for another 2-3 minutes.
9. Remove from heat and sprinkle with sesame oil and sesame seeds.
10. Serve on a bed of rice, topped with a fried egg.

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¹ Looking at you, Reiver!

This recipe was good in that we all enjoyed it. It was also clearly insane!

It called for (among other things) 375g of soba noodes, 500g of steak, and an entire napa cabbage and claims to serve four! I didn't even have a whole cabbage left, so I just used the ~2/3 of one that I did have. And even that would barely fit in the wok. And that was before we added the noodles!

We all had fairly large portions last night and the wok was still basically full after dinner. This recipe clearly makes enough to serve a family of 12! So, yeah, I like this recipe, but I think the proportions (and overall yield) are a bit off. I've scaled down the cabbage and noodles here, but left the rest of the ingredients the same. Hopefully this will produce a more reasonable quantity with a better balance between the meat, vegetables, and noodles. I've also reduced the broth called for. Since I found the sauce a bit soupier than I would have liked, even after adding the cornstarch slurry and trying to cook it down.

Stir-Fried Soba Noodles with Beef and Cabbage

Slightly adapted from Dish of the Day by Kate McMillan

Ingredients

• 500g steak (pref. sirloin)
• 1/4 c. sesame oil
• 1/4 c. dark soy sauce
• 2 Tbsp. ginger paste
• 200g soba noodles (or whole wheat spaghetti)
• 1 Tbsp. peanut or corn oil
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 green onions, sliced
• 1/2 head napa cabbage, shredded
• 1 c. beef broth, divided
• 1 Tbsp. cornstarch (cornflour)
• 225g sugar snap peas or snowpeas (mangetout), trimmed and halved diagonally
• 1/4 c. sesame seeds, toasted
• Laoganma (老干妈) and/or Sriracha, to serve (optional)

Directions

1. Thinly slice the beef across the grain and then cut into matchsticks (julienne).
2. Combine the sesame oil, soy sauce, and ginger paste.
3. Add the beef and toss to combine. Marinate for 1-3 hours.
4. Cook the noodles according to package directions. Drain, rinse, and set aside.
5. Heat the wok over medium-high heat.
6. Add the oil and swirl to coat.
7. Add the garlic and green onion and stir-fry for a minute or so.
8. Add the beef and marinade and stir-fry until cooked (5-8 minutes).
9. Add the cabbage and 3/4 c. of the broth.
10. Cover and cook until cabbage wilts (3-4 minutes).
11. Whisk the cornstarch into the remaining 1/4 c. of broth and pour it over the cabbage.
12. Add the peas and noodles, toss to combine, and cook until everything is heated through and sauce thickens slightly (2-3 minutes longer).
13. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
14. Serve topped with Laoganma and/or Sriracha (if desired).

This was very quick and easy to make and quite tasty! Especially for the small amount of effort it required. That said, there was definitely way too much sauce for the amount of broccoli. And it also didn't thicken up noticeably at all. So, I've halved all of the liquids in the sauce, but left the cornstarch unchanged. Hopefully that will produce better results next time.

Broccoli Stir-Fry with Dark Soy Sauce

Slightly adapted from Vegetable of the Day by Kate McMillan

Ingredients

• 1/3 c. raw cashews
• 1/4 c. chicken or vegetable stock
• 1 Tbsp. oyster sauce
• 1 Tbsp. dark soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp. mirin
• 1 tsp. cornstarch
• 1-2 Tbsp. corn or peanut oil
• ~500g broccoli florets
• 2 cloves garlic, minced

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 190°C (375°F) and toast the cashews until browned (5-6 minutes).
2. Combine the stock, oyster sauce, soy sauce, mirin, and cornstarch and mix well. Set aside.
3. Heat a wok over medium-high heat.
4. Drizzle in the oil and swirl to coat.
5. Add the broccoli and stir-fry until bright green (2-3 minutes).
6. Add the garlic and stir-fry for another minute or so.
7. Pour in the sauce and stir-fry until broccoli is tender (3-5 minutes).
8. Serve with rice and protein of your choice.

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Variants

Vegetarian Version¹

Ingredients

• 1/3 c. raw cashews
• 1/4 c. vegetable stock
• 1 Tbsp. vegetarian oyster sauce
• 1 Tbsp. dark soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp. mirin
• 1 tsp. cornstarch
• 1-2 Tbsp. corn or peanut oil
• ~500g broccoli florets
• 2 cloves garlic, minced

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¹ This version is probably also vegan, but you'll need to check your ingredients to be sure. Most soy sauces and vegetarian oyster sauces are vegan, but some are not. Traditional mirin is generally vegan, but some modern variants may contain honey. ^Back

I have some serious questions about this recipe. On the one hand, it was both easy and tasty, so it had that going for it. On the other hand, the proportions seemed way off. As written, it called for 250g of chicken, 125g of shrimp, and 375g of noodles. I had a 450g package of chicken, 340g of shrimp, and 400g of noodles. So, initially I was thinking that I'd just use half each of the chicken and shrimp and all of the noodles and that would be only slightly off from the recommended amounts. But, after seeing just how many noodles that was, TF and I decided that using all of the proteins would be more appropriate.

Honestly, I still found it pretty noodle heavy. I think it probably could've also used doubled veggies. But it at least had a reasonable amount of protein this way.

I think next time I'd just halve the noodles and sauce and call it a day. That seems easier than doubling everything else. And it means it would actually produce a reasonable amount. (Rather than enough noodles to feed a freaking army!) Oh well... at least now I know.

Rice Vermicelli with Chicken and Shrimp

Slightly adapted from Dish of the Day by Kate McMillan

Ingredients

• 250g skinless boneless chicken breasts and/or thighs
• 6 Tbsp. chicken stock
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. fish sauce
• 1 Tbsp. dark soy sauce
• 1/2 Tbsp. light soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp. sugar
• 200g rice vermicelli
• 2 Tbsp. corn or peanut oil, divided
• 125g shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 Tbsp. ginger paste
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 onion, halved and sliced
• 1 large (or 2 small) carrots, grated
• 2-3 c. shredded napa cabbage
• 2-3 green onions, sliced
• Sriracha, to serve (optional)

Directions

1. Poach the chicken in a bit of water or stock. Once cooked through, drain and shred. Set aside.
2. Combine the stick, fish sauce, dark and light soy, and sugar and mix well. Set aside.
3. Place the noodles in a heatproof bowl. Pour over enough boiling water to cover the noodles. Soak for 2 minutes. Then drain, rinse, and set aside.
4. Heat a wok over medium-high heat.
5. Drizzle in 1 Tbsp. of the oil and swirl to coat.
6. Add the shrimp and stir-fry for a minute or two until cooked through.
7. Remove shrimp from wok with slotted spoon and set aside.
8. Return wok to medium-high heat and add the ginger, garlic, onion, and carrot. Stir-fry until vegetables soften (2-4 minutes).
9. Add vegetables to bowl with shrimp and set aside.
10. Return wok to medium-high heat.
11. Drizzle in the remaining 1 Tbsp. of oil and swirl to coat.
12. Add the noodles and stir-fry for a minute or so.
13. Add the cabbage and chicken and stir-fry until combined and heated through.
14. Add the shrimp and veggies and toss to combine.
15. Pour in the sauce and stir-fry until sauce is absorbed (2-4 minutes).
16. Sprinkle with green onions.
17. Serve and top with Sriracha (if desired).

Sundae Bokkeum (Stir-Fried Korean Blood Sausage)

We picked up some blood sausage at a Korean supermarket in Toronto last week. Initially I was thinking of using it in place of the ground chicken in the tteobokki recipe I was planning on making. But at the last minute, I decided to look up some serving suggestions and decided to go with this stir-fry instead.

Sundae Bokkeum

Slightly adapted from Maangchi

Ingredients

Stir-Fry

• 85g flat starch noodles¹, soaked in cold water for an hour
• 500g frozen sundae (Korean blood sausage)
• 1 Tbsp. sesame oil
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 125g cabbage, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 onion, sliced
• 1 green finger chile, sliced
• 1-2 green onions, sliced
• 8-10 large perilla leaves³, half chopped, half chiffonaded
• 1 Tbsp. toasted sesame seeds, ground

Sauce

• 2 Tbsp. gochugaru
• 2 Tbsp. gochujang
• 2 Tbsp. corn syrup
• 2 Tbsp. soy sauce²
• 1/2 tsp. black peppercorns, ground
• 3/4 c. water

Directions

1. Set your noodles to soak.
2. Thaw the sausage (in its package) and bring a pot of water to a boil.
3. Place the sausage, still in its sealed package, into the boiling water, reduce heat, and simmer for 10 minutes.
4. Remove sausage from water and set aside to cool.
5. Meanwhile, combine the gochugaru, gochujang, corn syrup, soy sauce, and pepper for the sauce.
6. Gradually mix in the water. Set aside.
7. Drain the noodles, cut in half, and set aside.
8. Once the sausage is cool enough to handle, remove from package and carefully cut into discs ~1cm thick.
9. Heat the oil over medium-high heat.
10. Add the garlic and stir-fry until just beginning to crisp (~1 minute).
11. Add the cabbage and stir-fry for 1 minute.
12. Add the onion, green onion, and green chile and stir-fry for 2 more minutes.
13. Add the sauce, noodles, and chopped perilla leaves and cook until noodles become transparent (1-2 minutes).
14. Add the sausage and reduce heat to medium.
15. Gently stir to coat with sauce being careful not to break up the sausage slices.
16. Top with perilla chiffonade and ground sesame and serve.
17. Preferably serve with kimchi and/or other vegetable side dishes.

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¹ I didn't have any appropriate noodles, so I just omitted them. We did end up cooking up a little rice to serve with the stir-fry and tteobokki though. ^Back
2 I used a mix of light and dark soy, but I think either would be fine here. ^Back
3 I didn't have any perilla, so I added a little bit of dried tarragon and some dried basil to the stir-fry. Not the same, of course, but it did at least add another layer of flavour. If I'd had any Thai basil, I probably would have tried adding a bit of that either as well or instead. ^Back

Lemongrass Chicken Stir-Fry

I think I probably would have liked this Vietnamese-inspired stir-fry a bit more with some veggies in it. I think some thinly sliced carrot would have been a nice addition. But it was still very tasty as-is. The marinade and sauce were both excellent. I just would have liked to have had a little veg incorporated into it. That said, I do appreciate how easily it came together. So I'm not complaining.

Lemongrass Chicken Stiry-Fry

Slightly adapted from Dish of the Day by Kate McMillan

Ingredients

Marinade

• 2 shallots, quartered
• 3-4 cloves garlic
• 2 Tbsp. ginger paste
• 1 fresh green Thai, serrano, or finger chile
• 2 stalks lemongrass, white part only
• 1 tsp. coarse sea salt
• 1 Tbsp. corn (or other neutral) oil
• 2-3 Tbsp. water

Sauce

• 1 Tbsp. light soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp. fish sauce
• 1 tsp. rice vinegar
• 1/2 tsp. sugar
• 1/2 tsp. cornstarch (cornflour)
• 1/8 tsp. black peppercorns, ground

Stir-Fry

• 680g skinless boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 2 Tbsp. corn or peanut (or other high smoke point) oil, divided
• 1 onion, halved and sliced
• 1 carrot, thinly sliced on bias (optional)
• 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh Thai basil

Directions

1. Combine shallots, garlic, ginger paste, chile, lemongrass, salt, and oil in a blender or food processor and purée. Add as much of the water as needed to blend the mixture.
2. Add the marinade to the chicken and toss to combine. Cover and chill for 1-24 hours.
3. Combine the soy sauce, fish sauce, vinegar, sugar, cornstarch, and pepper and mix well. Set aside.
4. Heat a wok over medium-high heat.
5. Drizzle in 1/2 Tbsp. of the oil.
6. Add the onion and stir-fry until softened (2-3 minutes). Transfer to a plate and set aside.
7. Drizzle in another 1/2 Tbsp. of oil.
8. Add the carrot (if using).
9. Stir-fry until just cooked (2-3 minutes). Transfer to plate and set aside.
10. Drizzle in the remaining 1 Tbsp. of oil.
11. Add the chicken, a few pieces at a time, and stir-fry until cooked through (5-6 minutes).
12. Add the sauce and return the veggies to the wok and stir-fry until sauce thickens (1-2 minutes).
13. Sprinkle with basil and serve.

I got some zucchini for another recipe recently and accidentally overshot slightly and ended up with one extra one left over. Unfortunately, a lot of the zucchini recipes that I was looking at to potentially use it up called for more than one zucchini. Eventually though, I did find a few that called for more moderate squash quantities. Technically this recipe actually wanted a yellow summer squash, not a zucchini, but I figured it was close enough. And it sounded tasty. And looked reasonably healthy. Bonus!

I made a few small tweaks: reduced the sugar; added a chile, a bit of shaoxing wine (绍兴酒), and some toasted sesame seeds; swapped out the yellow summer squash for green zucchini, and reduced the oil slightly.

I think next time I'd change the order of the ingredients slightly. The recipe calls for adding the aromatics, carrots, and bell pepper together and then cooking the onion, zucchini, and peas as a separate batch before combinging everything. I think, if I were to do it again, I'd do the aromatics separately, then add the carrots and onion, then the bell pepper and zucchini, and then the peas (and maybe a green onion). It's not a huge deal though. Either order should work fine.

Vegetable Stir-Fry with Tofu

Slightly adapted from Vegetable of the Day

Ingredients

• 340g extra-firm tofu, cubed
• 2-3 Tbsp. cornstarch (cornflour)
• 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tbsp. fresh ginger, minced
• 1 fresh red chile, minced (optional)
• 3-4 carrots, sliced diagonally
• 1 onion, sliced lengthwise
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 zucchini, quartered and sliced
• 225g sugar snap peas (or snow peas), cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1-2 green onions, chopped (optional)
• 1/2 tsp. Chinese five-spice powder
• 1/4 c. chicken stock
• 1/2 Tbsp. sugar
• 3 Tbsp. hoisin sauce¹
• 1/2 tsp. light soy sauce
• 3/4 tsp. rice vinegar
• 1 tsp. shaoxing wine (绍兴酒)
• 2 Tbsp. canola or peanut oil, divided
• 1/2 tsp. sesame oil
• ~1 Tbsp. toasted sesame seeds

Directions

1. Do all your mise en place and get your ingredients ready.
2. Dust the tofu with the cornstarch.
3. Mince the garlic, ginger, and chile (if using) and set aside.
4. slice the carrots and onion, place in a separate bowl, and set aside.
5. Chop the zucchini and bell pepper, place in yet another bowl, and set aside.
6. Chop the peas and set aside.
7. Combine the chicken stock and five-spice powder and set aside.
8. Combine the sugar, hoisin said, soy sauce, vinegar, and wine, mix well, and set aside.
9. Heat wok over medium-high heat.
10. Drizzle in 1 1/2 Tbsp. of the oil and swirl to coat the bottom of the wok.
11. Add the tofu and stir-fry for 3-4 minutes.
12. Transfer tofu to a bowl or plate and set aside.
13. Return the wok to medium heat and add the remaining 1/2 Tbsp. of oil.
14. Add the garlic, ginger, and chile and stir-fry for 30-60 seconds.
15. Increase heat to medium-high, add the carrots and onion, and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes.
16. Add bell pepper and zucchini and stir-fry for another 2-3 minutes.
17. Add peas and green onions (if using) and stir-fry for 1 minute.
18. Add the five-spice powder and broth and return the tofu to the wok and cook for 2-3 minutes.
19. Drizzle in the hoisin mixture and cook for another 1-2 minutes.
20. If mixture is too dry, add a little more broth or some water. If it's too wet, cook for a minute or two longer.
21. Remove from heat and sprinkle with sesame oil and sesame seeds.
22. Serve over rice or egg noodles

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¹ We ran out of hoisin, so I made up the difference with oyster sauce. It's not quite the same flavour, but it's still a thick, sweet, umami-rich sauce, so it worked well enough for my purposes here. ^Back

I had to improvise slightly with this one. Some of my bok choy had started to go off, so I had to supplement with some other veggies. I added a bell pepper and an onion to bring it back up to the 450g the original recipe called for. I actually really like this mix. I think having a mix of veggies was nicer than having just the beef and bok choy. I also added a bit of sugar to help balance out the flavours.

Beef & Bok Choy Stir-Fry

Slightly adapted from Dish of the Day by Kate McMillan

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp. shaoxing wine (绍兴酒)
• 1 Tbsp. light soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp. spicy bean paste (辣豆瓣酱)
• 1/2 tsp. sugar
• 1 Tbsp. canola or peanut oil, divided
• 300g baby bok choy, quartered
• 1 bell pepper, sliced
• 1 onion, sliced lengthwise
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tbsp. minced ginger
• 450g thinly sliced steak

Directions

1. Combine shaoxing wine, soy sauce, bean paste, and sugar and set aside.
2. Heat wok over medium-high heat.
3. Drizzle in 1/2 Tbsp. oil and swirl to coat.
4. Add the bok choy, bell pepper, and onion and stir-fry until tender-crisp (2-3 minutes).
5. Transfer veggies to a bowl and add the remaining 1/2 Tbsp. of oil to the wok.
6. Add the garlic and ginger and stir-fry for 30 seconds.
7. Add the beef and stir-fry for ~2 minutes.
8. Return the veggies to the wok and toss to combine.
9. Add the wine mixture and stir-fry for another minute or two.

I had intended to make some barley with kale and a celery salad with boiled eggs for dinner last night. I succeeded in making the first of those two dishes, but I didn't end up getting all the ingredients that I needed for the second, so I was left scrambling trying to come up with an alternate dinner plan.

With a few adjustments, these noodles fit the bill. I ended up using thinly sliced stewing beef instead of steak. And the proportions were a bit different in my version since I was short on noodles but had more beef and more mushrooms than the recipe called for. I kind of like the results though. Lots of stir-fry, not too many noodles. It worked out pretty well in the end!

Photo goes here.

Korean-Style Noodles with Marinated Beef and Kimchi

Slightly adapted from Healthy Dish of the Day by Kate McMillan

Ingredients

• 2-3 Tbsp. sesame oil
• 1 Tbsp. dark soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp. mirin
• 1 Tbsp. brown sugar
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 Tbsp. gochujang
• 1/4 c. toasted sesame seeds, divided
• 400-450g flank steak or stewing beef, thinly sliced across the grain
• 150g bean thread noodles
• 2 Tbsp. canola oil, divided
• 250-350g shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
• 1 onion, halved and sliced
• 1 c. julienned carrots
• 1/4 c. sliced green onion
• 1/2 c. (or more) kimchi

Directions

1. Combine the sesame oil, soy sauce, mirin, brown sugar, garlic, gochujang, and 2 Tbsp. of the sesame seeds in a measuring cup. Mix well.
2. Pour half the mixture into a bowl and add the beef. (Set the other half of the mixture aside for now.)
3. Cover the bowl and marinate for at least 30 minutes (or as long as 4 hours¹).
4. Place the noodles in a heatproof bowl or pot and add very hot top water to cover. Let stand until softened², then drain and set aside.
5. Meanwhile, heat 1 Tbsp. of the canola oil in a wok over medium-high heat.
6. Add the beef and stir-fry until it begins to brown (~3 minutes).
7. Transfer the beef to a bowl and set aside.
8. Add the remaining 1 Tbsp. of oil to the wok and return to medium-high heat.
9. Add the mushrooms and onion and stir-fry until they begin to soften (~3 minutes).
10. Add the carrot and green onions and stir-fry until the onions are soft and lightly browned (another 4-5 minutes).
11. Add the noodles and toss to combine.
12. Return the beef to the wok and add the reserved sauce. Toss to coat.
13. Remove from heat and serve topped with kimchi.

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¹ Be sure to store the meat in the fridge if marinating for longer than 30 minutes. ^Back
2 The original recipe says that this should take ~10 minutes, but mine only took ~3 (which is more in line with what I was expecting based on the thinness of the noodles). I suspect that their tap water may not have been as hot as mine. Keep an eye on your noodles and drain them when they seem ready. ^Back

I feel like the flavours in this stir-fry could use a little tweaking. Not that it was bad. Everyone (including me) seemed to like it just fine. I just felt like it wasn't quite as good as it could be. I'm wondering if a little shaoxing wine might be the way to go. I'm used to seeing it in a lot of Chinese stir-fries, but it doesn't tend to come up as much in American ones. I feel like it might help balance things out a bit.

Beef and Eggplant Stir-Fry

Slightly adapted from Cook's Country February/March 2017

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp. oyster sauce
• 1 Tbsp. rice vinegar
• 1 Tbsp. shaoxing wine (绍兴酒)
• 1 Tbsp. light soy sauce
• 4 Tbsp. corn or peanut oil, divided
• 600g eggplant, peeled and cut into 2cm cubes
• 1 Tbsp. dark soy sauce
• 1-2 fresh red Thai or cayenne chilies, chopped
• 4-5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tbsp. fresh minced ginger
• 450g extra-lean (95%) ground beef
• 4 scallions, sliced thin, whites and greens separated
• 1 Tbsp. toasted sesame seeds (optional)

Directions

1. Combine the oyster sauce, rice vinegar, shaoxing wine, and light soy sauce and set aside.
2. Heat wok over medium-high heat.
3. Drizzle in 3 Tbsp. of oil and wait a moment for it to heat up.
4. Add the eggplant and cook until tender and browned (8-10 minutes).
5. Add dark soy sauce, toss to combine, and immediately remove from heat.
6. Transfer eggplant to a plate.
7. Return wok to heat and drizzle in remaining 1 Tbsp. of oil.
8. Add the chilies, garlic, and ginger and stir-fry for 10-20 seconds.
9. Add the beef and cook until browned and cooked through (3-4 minutes).
10. Pour in the sauce and add the white parts of the scallions and cook until slightly thickened (1-2 minutes).
11. Sprinkle with green parts of scallions and sesame seeds (if using) and serve over rice.

I had some napa cabbage left over after making the ginger salad for TF's birthday dinner, so I decided to give this stir-fry a try. It's nothing super fancy, but it was quick and easy and gave us a little bit more veg to round out the meal.

Napa Cabbage Stir-Fry

Slighlty adapted from Burma: Rivers of Flavor by Naomi Duguid

Ingredients

• 350g Napa cabbage
• 1/2 c. hot water
• 1 Tbsp. oyster sauce¹
• 2 Tbsp. oil
• 1/8 tsp. ground turmeric
• 1-2 dried red Thai, cayenne, or arbol chilies
• 1 shallot, minced
• 1 tsp. minced ginger
• 1/4 tsp. coarse sea salt

Directions

1. Cut the cabbage into 5mm slices, then cut them crosswise to create bite-sized pieces.
2. Rinse well, drain, and set aside.
3. Combine hot water and oyster sauce and set aside.
4. Heat wok over high heat.
5. Drizzle in the oil and swirl to coat the wok.
6. Reduce heat to medium and add the turmeric.
7. Immediately add the chilies, shallot, and ginger and stir-fry for 30 seconds.
8. Increase heat to high and add the cabbage and salt.
9. Stir-fry for 2-3 minutes.
10. Drizzle in the oyster sauce mixture an dbring to a boil.
11. Cook for another 15-30 seconds.
12. Transfer to a shallow bowl to serve.

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¹ Be sure to use vegetarian oyster sauce if you would like the dish to be vegetarian or vegan. ^Back

This is a basic Burmese fried rice. It has some elements in common with other fried rice dishes that I've made but, unlike Chinese fried rice, there is no sauce added at the end. The rice is simple fried with some turmeric, shallots, and peas and served with lime wedges. I appreciate the simplicity and it is very delicious. (Although, if you're willing to add another step, I do think it would be very nice with scrambled eggs!)

Fried Rice with Shallots

Slightly adapted from Burma: Rivers of Flavor by Naomi Duguid

Ingredients

• 3 Tbsp. oil
• 1/4 tsp. ground turmeric
• 1/2 (or more) sliced shallots
• 4-5 c. cooked rice
• 1 tsp. coarse sea salt
• 1 c. green peas
• scrambled eggs (optional)
• 2-3 Tbsp. fried shallots
• lime wedges (optional)

Directions

1. If you want to add some scrambled eggs, you can make them in the wok, then transfer them to a plate while you cook the rice in the wok.
2. Heat the wok over medium-high heat.
3. Drizzle in the oil and swirl to coat.
4. Add the turmeric and shallots and stir-fry for ~5 minutes.
5. Increase heat to high and add rice.
6. Add salt, peas, and scrambled egg (if using).
7. Stir-fry until rice is seared and peas are cooked.
8. Add the fried shallots and stir-fry for another 30-60 seconds.
9. Serve with lime wedges if desired.

This stir-fry is really meant to be made with Chinese/Tiwanese cabbage, but I didn't have any of that on hand and I did have pretty much the exact right amount of plain green cabbage, so... Green cabbage it is!

Cabbage Stir-Fry

From Woks of Life

Ingredients

• 2 tsp. 绍兴酒 (Shaoxing wine)
• 1 Tbsp. light (regular) soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp. sugar
• 1 Tbsp. water
• 2 Tbsp. oil
• 170g pork belly¹ or loin or chicken thighs, sliced (optional)
• 2 scallions, cut into 5cm lengths, greens and whites separated
• 5-6 cloves garlic, smashed and halved
• 2-5 dried red Thai, cayenne, or arbol chilies, deseeded
• 680g cabbage (preferably Chinese/Tiwanese), hand-shredded into bite-sized pieces
• 1/2 tsp. 镇江香醋 (Chinese black vinegar)

Directions

1. Combine the wine, soy sauce, sugar, and water and set aside.
2. Heat your wok over high heat until it just starts to smoke.
3. Drizzle in oil and swirl to coat the wok.
4. Add the pork (or other protein) and stir-fry for ~1 minute.
5. Add the white parts of the scallions and cook for ~30 seconds.
6. Reduce heat to medium, add the garlic and chilies and stir-fry for another minute or so.
7. Increase heat to high and add the cabbage and the sauce.
8. Stir to combine, then cover and cook for 1-2 minutes.
9. Stir in black vinegar and green parts of scallions.
10. Mix well and serve.

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¹ I didn't have any pork belly, but I did have a few slices of bacon, so I just tossed those in instead. I think this would also be good with some marinated/bacon-flavoured tempeh or smoked tofu. Judy mentions that the protein element can be omitted entirely, but I did enjoy having the bacon in it. Even though I did use significantly less than the 170g called for. ^Back

腐皮青菜 (Tofu Skin with Greens)

Okay, so before I get into the actual recipe, a brief musing about text and names. When possible, I really like giving the names of dishes in the original language. For languages that don't use the Roman alphabet I tend to use a Romanized transliteration of the name and then give an English name in brackets afterward. I do this because I can't read or write the original language and often all I have is the Romanized name anyway. However, this breaks down a bit when it comes to Chinese dishes.

I've been learning Mandarin since last summer. Or well... I've been doing the Mandarin lessons on Duolingo since last summer anyway. I know that, while Duolingo is a great for practice, the consensus is that isn't not really the best for actually learning a new language from scratch. But, the point is that I can actually read and write a little Chinese now. And I often do have the name of the dish easily to hand. Great, so I can write it in Hanzi (汉字) and give a parenthetical translation. Except that leaves out the Pinyin (拼音). So now I need three versions of the name. And I've been struggling with a good way to format that. I think for some recipes I've just left out the Pinyin. For others I've worked it into the recipe description. There are probably even a few older posts where I've given Pinyin (or some other Romanized spelling) and English without any Hanzi. But I'd like for all three to be present and prominent. So, I think from now on I'll just put a little name section somewhere in the post to make it easy to see the Hanzi, Pinyin, and English separate from the rest of the text.

Hanzi/汉字：腐皮青菜
Pinyin/拼音：fǔ pí qīng cài
English/英语：Tofu Skin with Greens

腐皮青菜

Slightly adapted from Woks of Life

Ingredients

• 1 tsp. fresh ginger¹, minced
• 5-6 cloves garlic, minced
• 3/4 tsp. coarse sea salt
• 2 tsp. sesame oil
• 1/2 tsp. sugar
• 1/4 tsp. white pepper, ground
• 1/4 c. water, divided
• 1 tsp. cornstarch
• 3 Tbsp. oil
• 350g bok choy, cut into bite-sized pieces
• ~2 c. chopped fresh tofu skins² (cut into bite-sized pieces)

Directions

1. Prep the garlic and ginger and set them aside. If using fresh ginger, keep it separate from the garlic. If using garlic paste, they can be mixed together.
2. In a small bowl, combine the salt, sesame oil, sugar, and white pepper.
3. Get 2 Tbsp. of the water ready in a separate bowl.
4. In a final bowl, combine the remaining 2 Tbsp. of water with the cornstarch.
5. Preheat the wok over medium-high heat.
6. Drizzle in the oil.
7. Once the oil is good and hot add the ginger. Stir-fry the ginger for ~30 seconds, then add the garlic. If using ginger paste, add it and the garlic at the same time.
8. Stir-fry the garlic for ~10 seconds, then turn the wok up to high and add the bok choy.
9. Stir-fry the bok choy for ~1 minute, then add the sesame oil mixture.
10. Stir-fry for another few seconds, then add the 2 Tbsp. of water.
11. Add the chopped tofu skins on top of the bok choy. DO NOT STIR!
12. Cover and steam for 1 minute.
13. Stir the cornstarch mixture and pour it over the stir-fry.
14. Mix well and serve.

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¹ I swapped in a generous teaspoon of ginger paste here. ^Back
2 Or dried tofu skins that have been soaked until softened and briefly boiled/blanched. ^Back

I was hit by a sudden craving for Chinese food last night. The problem with getting such cravings these days is that I've been spoiled by good home cooking. Ordering Chinese take-away always sounds great in my head. And I know it always used to taste great. But these days I tend to find it a little lacklustre. I mean, all the Americanized deep-fried sugary things are still... well, deep-fried and sugary and that does hold a certain appeal. But anything that doesn't come with a crunchy coating and/or a sticky sauce tends to be a little disappointing to me these days.

So, instead of ordering take-out, I turned to the Woks of Life blog in search of inspiration. I settled on their vegetable lo mein recipe as it looked like it'd be fairly quick and easy to prepare and also had enough veggies that I figured I could turn it into a one-wok meal. I ultimately ended up using dried thin white noodles for this dish. I think that probably technically makes it chow mein rather than lo mein, but I'm not sure.

I was about to say that I'd be tempted to bump up the veggies next time, but I just realized that the reason we had so many noodles for the amount of veg is that I forgot to account for the weight of fresh vs. dried noodles. No wonder it seemed like so many noodles! I guess I should seek out the fresh noodles next time. Whoops!

Vegetable Chow Mein

Slightly adapted from Woks of Life

Ingredients

• 1-2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 scallion, sliced, green and white parts separated
• 125g mushrooms², sliced
• 150g five-spice dry tofu (五香豆腐干), sliced thin
• 1 bell pepper, julienned
• 1 carrot, julienned
• At least 2 c. of other vegetables: snow peas, bean sprouts, napa cabbage, bok choy, choy sum, mustard greens, etc.
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 1 tsp. boiling water
• 1 Tbsp. dark soy sauce
• 2 Tbsp. light soy sauce
• 1 tsp. sesame oil
• 1/8 tsp. five-spice powder
• 450g fresh white or lo mein noodles¹
• 1 Tbsp. oil
• 1 Tbsp. shaoxing wine

Directions

1. Chop all the veggies and tofu and set them aside. The garlic, white parts of the scallion, and mushrooms can all go in the same bowl/buffer. The bell pepper, carrots, and tofu can go together. And any remaining veggies (minus the green parts of the scallion) can go into a third bowl to wait. The green parts of the scallion should be kept separate and used as a garnish at the end.
2. Dissolve the sugar in the boiling water.
3. Combine the sugar-water with the soy sauces, sesame oil, and five-spice powder and set aside.
4. Cook the noodles according to package directions. Drain, rinse with cold water, set aside.
5. Heat wok over high heat.
6. Add oil and swirl to coat wok.
7. Toss in mushroom mixture and stir-fry for a minute or so. Nudge the heat down a little if needed, but the veggies should be cut very thin and the wok should be very hot and everything should cook fast. This is why you prepped everything in advance!
8. Add the carrot-pepper combo, give it a quick toss and then drizzle in the wine and cook for another minute or so. If the wok seems too dry, toss in some water (or a bit of mushroom soaking liquid if you're using dried mushrooms).
9. Add the remaining veggies and stir-fry for 30-60 seconds.
10. Quickly loosen the noodles by running them under some warm water and then toss them into the wok.
11. Give the sauce mixture a quick stir and pour it in.
12. Mix and toss the noodles to combine everything and coat them in the sauce.
13. Top with the green parts of the scallion and serve with hot sauce and/or chili oil.

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¹ Remember to reduce the quantity of noodles accordingly if starting with dried noodles! ^Back
2 Cremini, shiitake, oyster, or king oyster. If you don't have any fresh mushrooms, feel free to rehydrate a few dried ones and use them instead. ^Back