Shalom shalom! Here is something fairly quick and easy to make for dinner. It's also very delicious and healthy. Since I've been with my Ish, I've been experimenting with some Asian or Asian-inspired dishes. I think part of the reason is to give him a little taste of Chinatown that I'm sure he misses. I say that because in 2010, my Ish had a stroke--thus leaving him paralyzed on his left side (hemiplegia). Pre-stroke, he was heavily into fitness--namely in Kung Fu (he practiced martial arts since the age of six. He was active in it for about 40 years). The Kung Fu school that he attended for over 30 years was located in Chinatown, so he would hang out there quite often. If not the Kung Fu school, then the restaurants. We get down there when we can, but it is limited at this time. Because of this, I am making greater attempts to get into his "world", and I hope certain foods reflect that...hence the stir fry. You don't have to go to a noodle house in Chinatown to enjoy this dish, but I hope it gives you a little taste of one.
What you'll need for this dish is :
*10 cloves of garlic, minced, about 1/4 cup
*Small piece of fresh ginger, minced, about 1/4 cup
*Two carrots, cut into matchstick pieces (julienne)
"One head of broccoli, florets cut off of stem/plant
*One bunch of scallions, sliced (reserve some of the green tops for garnish)
*One head of bok choy, sliced.
*1/2 cup of soy sauce (I use low sodium)
*red pepper flakes
*1/2 tablespoon of cornstarch
*One box of rice noodles
Heat some oil in a wok (or large pot or skillet if you don't have a wok) over medium heat. Add your garlic and ginger. Gently fry and stir constantly until fragrant, no more than one minute.
(NOTE : I must emphasize the importance of medium heat when frying these aromatics. If fried on high heat, they can (and will) burn easily and will negatively alter the taste of the dish)
(NOTE 2: It would also be best to prep your rice noodles at this time. You would do so by removing the noodles from its packaging and putting into a bowl of hot water. Leave there for about eight to ten minutes. When this time is up, the rest of the stir fry should be done. I told you this dish was quick!)
Next , increase the heat to medium high and add the carrots, broccoli, and scallions. Mix thoroughly by stirring constantly and cook for about two or three minutes. The carrots should slightly soften but still be crisp, and the broccoli should be slightly deeper in its green color. Also at this stage, add a little salt for seasoning.
Add the bok choy. Stir constantly and cook until the greens part is wilted and the stem parts are still crisp, yet tender--about two or three minutes. Also, add more salt at this stage--s bit more than what you added to the previous ingredients. This is both for seasoning and to help wilt the green part of the bok choy.
(NOTE : There will be liquid at the bottom of the wok, mainly due to the water coming from the bok choy. That is absolutely fine. That'll help for the sauce, so that it distributes more evenly in the dish.)
It's sauce time! Take your soy sauce (remember, I used low sodium soy sauce. Also, remember the salt added to the bok chop? We want our dish seasoned but not overly salty), some dashes of red pepper flakes, and the cornstarch. Mix together to make a slurry (a slurry will help thicken the sauce, thus doing something with the liquid at the bottom of the wok).
Add the soy sauce mixture and incorporate thoroughly.
Next, drain and add the pre-soaked rice noodles to the rest of the stir fry. Mix thoroughly and cook for another minute or two.
Vegetable stir fry...done!
And ready to serve! Garnish with reserved green tops of scallions and sesame seeds.
I hope you make this dish for your family. It is absolutely delicious! Did I also mention that it was quick (well, the prep of the vegetables took a little time, but you know what I mean...lol). If you make this, please let me know how it turned out for you. I look forward to hearing from you. So until then, shalom shalom.
Bathshua
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