Asian Veggie Stir Fry

Think of this Asian stir fry as a base that you can build off of. It is delicious on its own, but I fully expect you to juggle the ingredients around and make this your own. 

For example, look at those vegetables in the list and decide if you want more or less of them, or maybe there’s a veg you want to add in (like when it’s asparagus season or the zucchini’s are fresh). 

You may want to add chili oil up front to infuse a little heat into this dish, or replace the black pepper with Szechwan peppercorns for an entirely new and exciting flavor profile. The point is that once you have this base, you can take it anywhere you like!

So definitely “play with your food”, and let us know what you did that works!

You’ll Need

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp ginger, diced
• 1/2 cup onion, thinly sliced
• ½ cup carrot, cut into thin coins
• 2 cups packed spinach
• 1 cup mushrooms, sliced
• 1 cup red bell pepper, sliced

Sauce:

• 1 tbsp corn starch
• 1 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tsp Oyster Sauce
• 1 tbsp Chinese Cooking Wine or Sherry
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• Several turns on a pepper grinder
• 1 cup chicken stock

Garnish Over The Top

• Finely sliced green onions
• Sesame seeds

What To Do

Ahead of time:

• Cut up the veg, set aside, then make the sauce (below).

Silky sauce:

• Place cornstarch and soy sauce in a bowl and mix thoroughly.
• Mix in remaining sauce ingredients until smooth, set aside.

Now build your stir fry:

Heat oil in a wok or large iron skillet over high heat.

Add garlic and ginger, stir for 10 seconds.

Add onion, stir for 30 seconds.

Add carrot and red bell pepper, stir for 1 minute.

Add mushrooms, then stir for 2 to 3 minutes until the vegetables are almost (but not quite) cooked, then turn in the spinach until just wilted.

Now add the silky sauce and toss for 1 minute until it thickens and becomes glossy, coating all the veg. Heat it through, but careful to not  overcook so they become floppy and limp – they should be just cooked, “crisp tender”.

Before serving, taste the sauce and correct.   

Remove from stove and serve over rice. Garnish with green onions and sesame seeds.

Enjoy!