Saturday, August 16, 2008

Stir fried vegetables with noodles

This is another one of those pantry-raid, clean out the fridge sort of meals. It takes just a couple minutes to make and reheats well, so you can make a big batch and have leftovers.

INGREDIENTS (2 servings):
1/2 package spaghetti or spaghettini
1 crown broccolli
1 carrot
1 red bell pepper
1 handful of snow peas
12 large shrimp
2 cloves garlic
1/4-1/2" grated ginger root

SAUCE:
1 cup chicken stock
2 Tbsp oyster sauce
2 Tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp chili paste
1 Tbps Chinese cooking wine
2 tsp rice wine vinegar
1 tsp sesame oil
2 tsp corn starch

Start by boiling a large pot of water. If you have frozen shrimp in your freezer, thaw them in tepid water while the water is coming to a boil, then peel and devein them. Rinse all of the vegetables, julien the carrots and bell peppers, cut the broccoli into smaller florets, and mince the garlic and ginger. When the water is boiling, add salt to the water and then throw in half of a package of pasta. After about five minutes, drain and set aside. As the pasta is boiling, heat up a wok over a high flame. It will take a minute or two to get to full heat. Add a little bit of cooking oil (I like sunflower oil since it has a high smoke point) and throw in the garlic and ginger. A couple seconds later, throw in the broccoli, carrots, and peppers. Cook these for 1 to 2 minutes and add the shrimp. After another minute or two, add in the snow peas, cook for minutes, and then throw in half of the sauce. Toss everything together and add the pasta and remaining sauce. Let everything cook together for another minute or so. The vegetables should still have a bit of crunch to them. I like to cook stirfry this way if I am planning on having leftovers. Slightly undercooked vegetables are pretty tasty, and when you reheat them in the microwave, they don't get all brown and soggy.

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