Cooking Cove: Stir fry your way to easy tasty meals

By Barbara Beltrami

I don’t have a lot of Asian recipes in my repertoire, but I’m trying to learn some to expand my recipe files and put some variety into my dinner menus. One thing I’ve started with is stir frying. It’s a one-dish meal that puts variety right up on a front burner that is generally quite healthful. The key to doing it well, I’ve found, is having a very hot wok, slicing the veggies very thin (a mandolin is a handy gadget to have for this) or cutting them evenly into bite size pieces and not cooking anything beyond a few minutes or I’ll end up with a mushy mess. And a favorite thing about stir-frying is that I can substitute one veggie or protein or noodle for another. So I hope that if you try any of these recipes you’ll feel free to do that too.

Snow Pea and Soba Stir-Fry

YIELD: Makes 4 servings

INGREDIENTS: 

1 to 2 tablespoons peanut butter

1 tablespoon soy sauce

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

1 1/2 teaspoons hot chili oil

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon grated ginger

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1/2 cup vegetable broth

2 tablespoons peanut oil

One 10-ounce package frozen snow peas

1 bunch scallions, cleaned and slice

1/2 pound soba noodles, cooked

3 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves

DIRECTIONS:

In a medium microwave-safe bowl warm peanut butter for 10 seconds to make it soft; add soy sauce, vinegar, hot chili oil, salt and pepper, garlic, ginger, sesame oil and broth; whisk vigorously and set aside. In a large wok, heat peanut oil over medium-high heat; add snow peas and scallions and stir fry for two minutes, then stir in noodles and sauce, reduce heat to medium low and toss just until noodles are heated through; top with cilantro and serve hot with a radish and cucumber salad.

Beef, Bok Choy and Pepper Stir-Fry

YIELD: Makes 2 to 4 servings

INGREDIENTS: 

2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 teaspoon cornstarch

Coarse salt to taste

1/4 cup sunflower, peanut or vegetable oil

1/2 pound thinly sliced flank steak

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/2”strips

1 green bell pepper, cut into 1/2” strips

1/2 pound baby bok choy sliced thin

1 tablespoon sherry vinegar

1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

4 scallions, sliced thin

DIRECTIONS: 

In a medium bowl whisk together garlic, brown sugar, cornstarch and salt; add steak slices and toss to thoroughly coat. In a wok, heat oil over medium-high heat; add steak and cook just until edges start to brown but centers remain pink, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add soy sauce and toss steak to coat; remove from wok and set aside to keep warm. Add peppers and bok choy to wok and cook, tossing frequently, until al dente, about 2 minutes. Stir in vinegar, then transfer steak back to pan and cook just until warmed through. Top with sesame seeds and scallions and serve hot with rice.

Tofu, Spinach and Sesame Stir-Fry

YIELD: Makes 2 servings

INGREDIENTS: 

1 tablespoon vegetable, peanut or canola oil

8 ounces tofu, diced

1 garlic clove, minced

1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger 

1/2 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes

Soy sauce to taste

1/2 pound fresh baby spinach

2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1/4 cup snipped fresh chives

DIRECTIONS:

In a large wok heat the oil over medium heat; add the tofu and cook until it takes on a light golden color; remove and set aside to keep warm. Add garlic, ginger, and hot pepper flakes, then stir about one minute until they release their aroma. Add soy sauce and spinach and cook until the spinach wilts, about one minute. Return tofu to wok, stir in sesame seeds, adjust seasoning and remove contents from heat. Transfer to serving bowl or platter, drizzle with sesame oil and sprinkle with chives. Serve hot with udon noodles.