With the holiday season behind us, it’s time to start thinking New Year resolutions! Ours includes eating right and eating healthy. Here’s a great vegetable stir-fry dish that makes for a perfect side dish or complete meal when served with rice. You are welcome to substitute our favorite vegetables below with any other firm vegetable such as cauliflower, celery, green bell peppers, baby corn and more!
6 fresh mushrooms (4 oz.)
4 oz. fresh broccoli
4 oz. fresh snow peas
1 carrot (4 oz.)
½ small yellow onion (3 oz.)
½ red bell pepper (3 oz.)
½ can (drained 2 ½ oz.) sliced water chestnuts
½ can (drained 2 ½ oz.) sliced bamboo shoots
1 tablespoon canola or vegetable oil (for cooking in a non-stick wok or a fry pan)
1 tablespoon soy sauce (Kikkoman brand)
1 teaspoon pure sesame oil
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon sugar
¼ teaspoon black pepper
Preparation:
Wash and trim stems of mushrooms and slice into ¼-inch thin pieces. Wash and cut broccoli into small florets. Wash and break off the tips of the fresh snow peas, remove stringy edges from the pea pods and discard them. Peel carrot and slice diagonally into ¼-inch thin pieces. Cut onion along the grain in half then crosswise slice into ¼-inch thin slices. Cut red bell pepper into thin 1-inch long strips.
To Cook:
Heat oil in a non-stick wok or a large fry pan over medium high heat. When the oil is hot, add mushrooms, broccoli, snow peas, carrots and onions. Cook and stir for about 3 to 4 minutes. Add soy sauce, sesame oil, salt, sugar and black pepper, stir well. Add red bell peppers, water chestnuts and bamboo shoots. Cook and stir for 1 to 2 more minutes until the vegetables are tender but still crunchy. Serve hot.
Makes 4 servings
Preparation: 15 to 20 minutes
Cooking time: 7 minutes
My mom thankfully flew in to help out the other week while my husband was traveling for work. I won’t even tell you about the hundreds of yummy wontons and potstickers she made for us because you might get jealous. While in town, she also whipped up another tasty stir-fry side dish. I could not get over how incredibly easy it is to make. Her super simple Hot and Sour Cabbage has some kick and goes well with any kind of meat or seafood main course.
1 pound head cabbage (about half of the small to medium size cabbage)
4 dried red hot chili peppers
1 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil (for cooking in a non-stick wok or a fry pan)
2 tablespoons soy sauce (Kikkoman brand)
2 tablespoons white vinegar
Preparation:
Wash and trim outside of the cabbage. Cord the cabbage and cut the cabbage into 1 inch chunks.
To Cook:
Heat oil in a non-stick wok or a large frying pan over medium high heat. Break each of the dried chili peppers in half and add to wok. Brown the peppers for about 2 minutes until the oil begins to smoke and the peppers turn dark. Add the cabbage to wok. Stir-fry for about 2 minutes then add soy sauce and white vinegar. Stir constantly for about 4 minutes and cook the cabbage until it becomes tender yet still crunchy. Serve hot or warm.
Makes 4 servings
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 8 minutes
The people in China’s Szechwan province create many kinds of braised hot chili pepper dishes. Since fresh jalapeño peppers are accessible in most supermarkets, you can make this wonderful and spicy side dish at home.
1 pound fresh green jalapeño peppers
2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil (for cooking in a non stick wok or a fry pan)
¼ cup white vinegar
¼ cup soy sauce (Kikkoman brand)
1 teaspoon sugar
Preparation:
Wash the peppers and remove the stems. Cut each pepper lengthwise in half and then into quarters. Use a small knife to carefully cut out the white color membranes with seeds. Try not to touch them with your fingers as they are very hot!
To Cook:
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a non-stick wok over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add peppers. Cook and brown the peppers for about 5 minutes. Add white vinegar, soy sauce and sugar. Lower the heat to medium-low. Cook and stir until the peppers are soft and tender for about 10 minutes. Serve warm or cold. Goes well with steaks and other meats.
Makes 6 to 8 servings as a side dish
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
I have fond memories of Hot and Spicy Potato Strips while growing up. They are not exactly the American French fry but rather used as one of our vegetable side dishes at home in China. You can make them mild or hot but as a family, we prefer hot! Why not serve with hamburgers and hot dogs during this weekend’s Fourth of July celebration!
2 large size russet potatoes (about 1-½ pounds)
1 tablespoon canola or vegetable oil (for cooking in a non-stick wok or a fry pan)
1 teaspoon dried crushed red chili peppers
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon soy sauce (Kikkoman brand)
2 teaspoons white vinegar
1 teaspoon pure sesame oil
¾ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon sugar
Preparation:
Wash and peel the potatoes. Slice the potatoes lengthwise into ¼ inch thick pieces. Crosswise cut the potatoes into ¼ inch thick strips.
To Cook:
Heat oil in a non-stick wok over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot. Brown crushed red chili peppers for a few seconds. Add potato strips, cook and stir for about 3 minutes. Lower heat to medium. Add water, soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, salt, and sugar to wok. Cook and stir constantly for 6 to 7 minutes. The potato strips should be tender and slightly crispy. Serve hot.
Makes 4 servings
Preparation time: 6 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Bok Choy is readily available in the vegetable section of most supermarkets. It’s a member of Chinese cabbage family. Often, Bok Choy can be very large. If that is the case, just cut in half lengthwise. The other half will keep fresh in the refrigerator for at least one week.
Stir-fry Bok Choy is very tasty and my family gives this recipe the thumbs up. As an alternative however, you can also blanch or steam the Boy Choy then drizzle with Oyster Sauce and serve.
1 pound fresh Bok Choy
2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger root
1 tablespoon canola or vegetable oil (for cooking in a non-stick wok or a fry pan)
1 tablespoon soy sauce (Kikkoman brand)
1 teaspoon pure sesame oil
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon sugar
Preparation
Trim the ends and wash each stalk well. Lengthwise cut each stalk once or twice (depends on the size of the stalk), about ½ inch wide. Crosswise cut the stalks into 2 inch chunks. Crush, peel and finely chop the garlic. Peel and finely grate ginger root
To Cook
Heat oil in a non-stick wok or a frying pan over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, brown garlic and ginger for a few seconds. Add Bok Choy. Cook and stir for about 1 minute. Add soy sauce, sesame oil, salt and sugar. Cook and stir for another 2 to 3 minutes until the green leaves are soft and the white parts are tender but still crunchy. Serve hot or warm.
Makes 4 servings
Preparation time: 6 minutes
Cooking time: 3 to 4 minutes
Always wonder what to do with bean sprouts? They make a nice little side dish and are simple to stir-fry. Keep in mind that bean sprouts retain a lot of liquid and so careful not to over cook them.
1 pound fresh bean sprouts
2 scallions, including the green top
1 tablespoon canola or vegetable oil (for cooking in a non-stick wok or a fry pan)
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 tablespoon rice wine or cooking sherry wine
3/4 teaspoon salt
Preparation:
Rinse the bean sprouts under cold running water. Drain excess water through a colander. Wash and trim the green onions, finely chop.
To Cook:
Heat oil in a non-stick wok over high heat. When the oil is hot, brown onions for a few seconds. Add bean sprouts to wok, cook and stir for 1 minute. Add vinegar, cooking wine and salt. Cook and stir until the bean sprouts are cooked through and still crispy, approximately 1 to 2 minutes. Drain any excess liquid and transfer the bean sprouts onto a plate. Serve hot.
Makes 4 servings
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 3 minutes
This is a popular stir-fry dish for everyday family meals. Goes great with meats, poultry and seafood.
1 pound fresh broccoli
1 scallion, including the green top
1 tablespoon canola or vegetable oil (for cooking in a non-stick wok or a fry pan)
2 tablespoons water
1-½ tablespoons soy sauce (Kikkoman brand)
1 teaspoon pure sesame oil
½ teaspoon sugar
Preparation:
Wash and cut the broccoli into small florets. Peel tough outer membrane from stems and slice into 1/4 inch thin bite-size pieces. Wash and trim the green onion, finely chop.
To Cook:
Heat oil in a non-stick wok or a large frying pan over medium heat. When the oil is hot, brown onions for a few seconds. Add broccoli, cook and stir for about 1 minute. Add water, soy sauce, sesame oil and sugar. Cook and stir until the broccoli is tender yet still crunchy for about 3 to 4 minutes. Serve hot.
Makes 4 to 6 servings
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 5 minutes
This simple and easy stir-fry dish is a part of a Chinese family regular dinner menu. It’s always great to add a little tasty green to my family’s dinner menu.
1 pound fresh spinach
4 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon canola or vegetable oil (for cooking in a non-stick wok or a fry pan)
1 teaspoon pure sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
Preparation:
Wash the spinach thoroughly. Remove the stems if any and excess water. Crush, peel and finely chop the garlic.
To Cook:
Heat oil in a non-stick wok or a large fry pan over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, brown garlic for a few seconds. Add spinach to wok, stir turning the spinach for about 2 minutes. When the spinach is cooked down and soft, add sesame oil, salt and sugar. Cook and stir for 30 seconds longer. Transfer the spinach onto a plate and pour off any excess liquid. Careful not over cook the spinach. Serve hot.
Makes 4 to 6 servings
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 2 to 3 minutes
Szechuan-style green beans are my favorite Chinese veggie side dish. It was only recently however that I realized that those healthy green beans are deep-fried before stir-fried in restaurants. No wonder they tasted so good!?! Here’s a spicy and delicious alternative we now make at home minus the frying oil.
1 pound fresh green beans
4 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon canola or vegetable oil (for cooking in a non-stick wok or a fry pan)
1 teaspoon dried crushed red chili peppers
1/3 cup water
1 tablespoon Hoisin sauce*
1 teapsoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon pure sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
Preparation:
Wash and break off the stringy tips of the green beans and discard. Break each green bean in half. Crush, peel and finely chop the garlic.
To Cook:
Heat oil in a non-stick wok or a large frying pan over medium heat. When the oil is hot, brown garlic and red chili peppers for a few seconds. Add green beans. Cook and stir for 1 minute. Add water, hoisin sauce, vinegar, sesame oil and salt. Reduce heat to low. Cover and cook until all the liquid is nearly absorbed and the green beans are tender, approx. 14 to 15 minutes. Stir occasionally. Serve hot.
Makes 4 to 6 servings
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 17 minutes
*Hoisin sauce is a sweet brown sauce made from soybeans. Sold in jars or bottles at the Asian section of most supermarkets. After opening, it can be stored for several months in the refrigerator.
I know, many of you may be thinking “Yuck! I hate brussels sprouts”. I only started liking brussels sprouts recently because of my father-in-law. Now I love them. And since it’s the season, some of you may want to try this recipe as a Thanksgiving side dish. We happen to think that Chinese-style is the most delicious way to prepare them so we figured it’s worth a shot…
1 pound brussels sprouts
4 strips of hickory smoked bacon
½ small yellow onion
2 teaspoons cornstarch dissolved in 2 tablespoons water
4 cups water (for boiling the brussels sprouts)
1 tablespoon soy sauce (Kikkoman brand)
2 teaspoons white vinegar
1 teaspoon pure sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon sugar
Preparation:
Wash and trim the ends of the brussels sprouts. Cut each brussels sprout lengthwise in half. Cut bacon into ½ inch pieces. Cut onion into ½ inch chunks. In a small bowl, dissolve 2 teaspoons of cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of water.
To Cook:
Bring water to a boil. Add the brussels sprouts to the boiling water and blanch for approx. 7 to 8 minutes (until they are almost tender). Drain water and set aside. Heat a non-stick wok or a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the bacon pieces. Cook and stir until the bacon caramelizes for about 3 to 4 minutes. Add onions, cook and stir for 1 minute. Add the cooked brussels sprouts, soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil and sugar to wok. Stir-fry for 2 more minutes. Add dissolved cornstarch to wok, and stir-fry for a few seconds until the liquid thickens and adheres to the sprouts.
Makes 4 to 6 servings
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
