Incentive. You sometimes need incentive to get people to eat their veggies. We often resort to sweetness: carrots sautéed in sugar and orange juice. [Don’t be righteous, it’s good.]
But it would be better if this culinary bribery could be accomplished on a more healthy note. Surprise, the surprise of Asian spices, is the fashion of this recipe. As you can see from the picture, these veggies form a perfect base for salmon or other protein. In fact, if your fork and knife manage to give you bite with both fish and veggies, then satisfaction is a guarantee.
This recipe is from Deborah Madison, a master of vegetables. Of all types and all cuisines. You can trust both the ingredients here and the relative proportions to give you a zesty and enchanting dish.
And that should incentive enough for you to reach for your chili oil.
Broccoli, Snow Peas, Green Beans, and Bok Choy with Asian Spices
Yield: serves 8-10
Ingredients:
- 5 cups broccoli florets (from about 2 crowns)
- 3 cups snow peas, trimmed, about 12 ounces or green beans or a mix
- 2 bok choy, leaves cut into ribbons, stems cut into thin strips
- 3 tablespoons canola oil or peanut oil
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon sambal oelek or chili oil
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1-2 tablespoons light-colored (white or yellow) miso
- 1 tablespoon chopped ginger
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch stirred into ⅓ cup stock or water
Preparation:
Pre-heat oven to 375F.
Put all the ingredients into a large bowl and mix well with your hands. Shape the ground beef mixture into well-formed balls (golf ball-sized) using your hands or use a small ice cream scoop. Brown them on all sides in canola oil in a skillet.
Then transfer them to an oiled sheet pan and baked them at 400 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until cooked through.
If serving as a main course, or as an appetizer, you can optionally take 3 or 4 and skewer them before serving.
Source: Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison
Photo Information: Canon T2i, EFS 60mm Macro Lens, F/5 for1/15th second at ISO‑3200