Tag: chinese cuisine
Cauliflower and Scallop Stir Fry
This is a great start to the healthy eating I had envisioned. Cauliflower and scallops are my husband’s two favorite things to eat- usually separately. I thought of using them together in one dish. I have seen some kind a sicilian risotto dish with both cauliflower and scallops used together- with raisins and nuts. I was a bit skeptical pairing them together- but decided to take a chance and go ahead and make a stir fry.
I love doing stir fries. They are quick and easy to make. It is nice to have some kind of tamari and soy sauce in your pantry. Some other things handy for a Chinese inspired dinner are rice vinegar, sweet chili sauce, black bean sauce and of course garlic and ginger are a must. I always have all of these ingredients in my pantry so I can make any dish on a whim.
I started by broiling cauliflower florets with a bit of oil and tamari. This gave the vegetable a sweet nuttiness and a great golden brown color. I then whipped up a simple sauce with black bean sauce, tamari, rice vinegar and sweet chili sauce.
The dish is very simple, yet quite sophisticated. I loved the sweet cauliflower with the sweet scallops. The two textures are similar yet very different. I sliced the scallops in half and got more bang for my buck. Be careful not to over cook the scallops- it will spoil the dish.
I made fabulous brown rice and served the stir fry on top. Big success- it was low fat with very big flavor. Exactly what I am looking for.
- 1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Preheat oven to broil.
Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil. Add the cauliflower on to the cookies sheet. Add the soy sauce and oil, mix well and broil till golden brown. Keep aside.
- ½ pound scallops, cleaned and sliced in half
Sauce
- 3 tablespoons black bean sauce
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sweet chili sauce
- 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
Mix well in a bowl and keep aside.
- 2 tablespoons garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons ginger, minced
- 1 medium white onion, sliced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
In a wok like saucepan, heat the olive oil. Add the onion and sauté for 4-5 minutes on medium high heat. Add the ginger and garlic and sauté for 3-4 minutes on medium high heat. Add the scallops and sauté for a minute (careful not to break them). Add the cauliflower and the sauce. Mix well and serve with brown rice.
Chicken Sausage Noodle Stir Fry
This is a really quick, last minute meal. I had a super busy day and didn’t have anything for dinner.
I kept thinking what to make. I had a couple chicken sausages in the fridge. I always have grated carrots, green onions and some other vegetables in the crisper.
It is so important to have a well stocked pantry and fridge at a time like this. I decided to make a quick noodle stir fry. I chopped up the sausage, green onion, red pepper and garlic. I had chinese style noodles in the pantry which I decided to use- although any spaghetti or fettucini style pasta will do as well.
I added some tamari and in a few minutes I had a fabulous noodle stir fry. It is a one-pot meal with the protein and the vegetables all in one. I love making dishes like this plus my daughter loved it.
I added a bit of chile sauce for my husband and I and that is what we had for dinner as well. I opened some white wine and we had a green salad with it.
It was quick, fast and delicious! I think this is a perfect meal for this busy holiday season.
- 2 chicken sausages, cut into ¼ inch pieces
- 2 tablespoons extra light olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 4 green onions, whites and greens chopped and separated
- ½ cup grated carrots
- ½ red pepper, small chop
- 3 tablespoons tamari
- 2 eggs
- 1 sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 6 ounces spaghetti or egg noodles, cooked
Beat the eggs with the sesame oil and salt. Keep aside.
In a wok like pan, heat the olive oil. Add the sausages and sauté on medium high heat for a minute. Add the carrots, garlic, white part of the green onions and red pepper. Saute for a minute and add the egg. Mix well till the egg is cooked. Add the cooked spaghetti and tamari. Mix well and add the green part of the green onions. Check for seasonings and serve.
Ground Turkey and Green Beans Stir Fry
I bought green beans with the eggplants the other day at the farmer’s market. They had been sitting in my fridge and I wasn’t sure what to do with them. Usually pasta comes to mind but I was trying to cook different cuisines since we had quite a lot of pasta in Italy- not that there is anything wrong with that.
I thought about making a stir fry with tofu and green beans. I haven’t cooked with tofu in a while and we all love it. I was feeling quite lazy to prepare the tofu- I take the excess water out, cut it up and then saute it in a non-stick pan. I decided to scrap the tofu and use ground turkey instead. There is a dish my husband really enjoys called ma po tofu that has ground meat and is cooked in a black bean sauce. It is quite tasty and I have made it a few times but I didn’t have black bean sauce at home- oh well. I made my own sauce and sauteed the turkey meat with ginger and garlic. I then added the green beans and the sauce.
It was a quick and easy dish. I made healthy brown rice with it. I saute the rice in a little olive oil and butter and then cook it in chicken broth- it is absolutely delicious! You don’t miss white rice at all. I also buy the Indian basmati brown rice from Trader Joes, so it has a longer grain and is closer in terms of looks to white rice.
My daughter really enjoyed it and surprisingly said nothing about the green beans- I guess she likes them now. She even took leftovers to school the next day. I refrained from drinking any wine as I have indulged a bit too much on my trip and over the summer. Just plain water was good enough with the delicious meal!
- 1 pound ground turkey breast
- ½ pound green beans, trimmed
- 2 teaspoons garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons ginger, minced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Sauce
- 3 tablespoons tamari
- 2 teaspoons rice vinegar
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 2 teaspoons chili garlic sauce
Mix all the ingredients and keep aside.
- 2 teaspoons corn starch
- 2 teaspoons water
Mix the corn starch and water and keep aside.
In a large wok, heat the olive oil. Add the ground turkey meat and cook over high heat, separating the meat while stirring constantly for about 5 mintues. Add the garlic and ginger. Saute for 2-3 minutes on high heat. Add the green beans and sauté for another 2-3 minutes. Add the sauce and the corn starch mixture. Cook for 2-3 minutes, mixing well. Cover the dish and cook on low heat for 5 minutes or till the beans are cooked. Serve with brown rice.
Peanut Eggplant Stir Fry
I have a rocky relationship with eggplants.. There are a few dishes I enjoy. I love baba ghanoush, bhurta and a few more. Overall, I stay away from this vegetable- which is not very good since it has a delicious flavor. I am not a big fan of the texture most of the time- but in dishes like bhurta, it works.
I was at our local farmer’s market in Maplewood shopping for fresh ingredients. It was there I saw the most beautiful looking small, long, purple and white eggplants. Considering I am not a big fan, I couldn’t help myself and picked them up promptly. I didn’t know what I was going to do with them but I knew it would have to be some kind of a stir fry. They looked so fresh and tender- I knew they would have to be the star and not a side kick. They sat in my fridge for a few days- actually I forgot I had them in there.
I was at my favorite grocery store- Trader Joes and was looking to replace some salad dressings in my fridge. I usually buy a pear gorgonzola that is delicious. They were out of it but had a new one- spicy peanut vinaigrette with cilantro- yum, I thought. I brought it home and put it away in the fridge.
I finally decided to make the eggplant and stir fried it with a little garlic and olive oil. I wanted to add a little more flavor to it and thought of the peanut dressing. I added a bit of that and it was perfect. Sweet, spicy and savory at the same time- perfect combination. I was also making a ground turkey and green bean stir fry (recipe coming up on Monday) so I decided to serve the eggplant dish on the side. It was a great accompaniment. I served yummy brown rice with the meal and it was healthy, quick and delicious!
- 1 pound small, thin light purple eggplants, cut into 1 inch pieces
- 2 teaspoons garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons spicy peanut vinaigrette (Trader Joes) or any peanut sauce will do
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt
- ½ cup cilantro, chopped
In a large frying pan, heat the olive oil. Add the garlic and sauté for a minute on medium heat. Add the eggplant pieces and sauté on high heat for 4-5 minutes. Add the peanut vinaigrette and salt. Saute for 3-4 minutes on medium heat and garnish with cilantro. Check for seasonings and serve.