We all cry for stir fry

Eating healthier is a great goal and one way to ensure meals are optimized is to break out the wok. The wok has been Westernized, the normally rounded bottom flattened to work well on flat topped range. None the less it is important to really crank the heat on the rascal for stir fry. This means the cook better have his or her act together because once the train leaves the station it’s too late to board. The mise en place or mise is the biggest and most complex step in the oriental cooking process, but it is still fairly easy to do.

Remember the vegetables are generally picked up with chop sticks so it is important to ensure the veggies are cut into bite sized pieces. They are added to the heat toughest first, in this case broccoli florets, the water chestnuts, and then the rest. Don’t cook the hell out of the vegetables – it is important to have a little crunch. Oriental cooking is all about balance, soft and hard, sweet and sour, hot and cool – a very delicate ballet that is sure to please the pallet. The oil used for frying is important as well. Peanut oil is used a lot, but safflower is healthier and won’t impart any taste. Flavoring the oil helps as well, garlic chili paste is a quick and easy way to do this when added to the oil hot oil and stirred in. Keep the oil moving with the wok tool or spoon as the vegetables added -- with the burner on full bore things burn quick when standing still.  Also use caution when dropping in chili paste as it is wet, and the wet mass hitting the hot oil causes spitting and sputtering that can splash hot oil on tender skin. While great for teaching the kids new words, it really hurts.

Be creative, use imagination when creating the dishes – the principals remain the same while the ingredients can be changed up to use up leftovers or take advantage of whatever is in season. Start with a recipe that pleases and branch off creating a signature dish.  Once mastered stir fry is quick, easy and healthy.

2 cups broccoli florets
1 small can water chestnuts
1 small red bell pepper sliced into bite sized pieces
6 shallots, sliced, white parts only
1 cup slide mushrooms
2Tbs Safflower oil

Sauce:
1Tbs oyster flavor sauce
2Tbs light soy sauce (Pearl River Bridge)
¼ Tsp Sesame oil
¼ cup vegetable stock
1 Tsp cornstarch mixed with 2 Tsp water

Roasted unsalted cashews for garnish