Tag Archives: Stir Fry

Jun 22 2012

Power Foods – Asparagus

You might remember, last week, I learned how to handle an artichoke, a brand new vegetable, to me.  This week, I learned how to  hide asparagus, in a recipe so that my husband, who has refused to eat it, since he was a child, wouldn’t know it was there.  When, we married, there were three foods, he would not eat, tuna, chicken and yes, asparagus.  Twice, I tried to have him see the light and made asparagus, the first as a newlywed and the second. twenty years later.  Both times, he soundly rejected the asparagus with moans and groans and a matching facial expression.

I knew, this was going to be a challenge.  I made a stir-fry, hoping to camouflage the asparagus, in the midst of other delicious vegetables. 

Camouflage Stir Fry  – done in great trepidation

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon sesame oil

2 thin asparagus spears, cut into small pieces (about an inch in length)

1 cup cauliflower florets

1 cup broccoli florets

1/2 cup carrot slices

1/4 cup sliced mini orange peppers

1/4 cup onion slices

1/4 cup soy sauce

1 teaspoon ground ginger (fresh is best)

2 tablespoons brown sugar or honey

Procedure:

Combine, in a small bowl, soy sauce, ginger and brown sugar or honey.

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat.  Add vegetables to skillet and cook for 4 minutes.  You can add the asparagus for just the last minute, if you would like it to retain a slight crispness.

Add soy sauce combination to skillet and mix in with the vegetables.  Cook, stirring for an additional two  minutes.

*** I didn’t tell my husband, there was asparagus in the stir-fry but I figured, he would recognize it.  He didn’t.  He cleaned his plate completely.  I have to add that the soy sauce did camouflage the asparagus taste so that he ate with relish.  Can you imagine?  He was not perturbed when I told him those green “sticks” are asparagus.  He just kept eating.  Does that mean, he will eat asparagus, in the future?  I doubt it.   It is deeply ingrained in him that he despises it.

You are entitled to a giggle.  I made him this, the following night and he ate it.  Recipe at a later date…

 

Please check the following blog to see what they did with the asparagus.

Second Course: Asparagus with Morels

Second Course: Asparagus with Morels (Photo credit: ulterior epicure)

Jill – SaucyCooks 2girls@saucycooks.com
Sarah – Everythinginthekitchensink sarah.toskanoski@gmail.com
Feb 9 2012

Asian Chicken Stir Fry (with Mango)

I like to fall back on a stir fry when I run into a problem with my menu plans.  I usually can construct the meal with what I find, in the house, and it is an easy dish to make.   That is what I did, tonight.  I had a few cooked chicken cutlets in the refrigerator.  I had cooked them with pineapple chunks and juice so the cutlets were rather plain, perfect for a stir fry.  I also had a mango, I had to use up so I sliced it and threw it in with the chicken and pineapple.  I looked around and pulled out a large onion and red pepper and finally, I had half a bag of broccoli to add to the mix.  With the right seasonings, this was transformed to a state of deliciousness.

Asian Chicken Stir Fry

5 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons Mirin

1 teaspoon grated ginger 

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon sesame oil

2 cooked chicken cutlets 

1 mango, peeled and sliced

1 cup pineapple chunks in juice

1 cup Organic Vegetable broth

1/2 large red pepper, sliced

1 large onion, sliced

1 1/2 cups broccoli florets

8 ounces thin spaghetti (I used gluten-free)

Procedure

In a large skillet, mix soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic & Mirin.

Cook the onions, pepper and fruit in this liquid.

While this is cooking, follow directions on spaghetti package and cook spaghetti, drain and put aside.

After the onion mix is cooking for 5 minutes, add the chicken cut into strips and the pineapple.

Heat an additional 3 minutes and add vegetable broth.  When broth is heated, put broccoli and mango into pan.  Cook for 2 – 3 minutes, depending on how crisp you like your broccoli.  (I let mine cook too long.)  If you put the mango in earlier, it disappears into the rest of the ingredients, never to be seen again.

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