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Recipe Corner
by Tiana Celesia, R.D.

Quick and Tasty Stir Fried Vegetables

Celebrate diversity with this year's theme for National Nutrition Month, "Enjoy the Variety of Food Choices." Although it is important to understand that any food can fit into a healthful eating style, everybody agrees that vegetables are nutrition powerhouses. In addition to eating our vegetables for their vitamin, mineral, and fiber content, we are now learning more and more about their wide range of phytochemicals. Phytochemicals are plant-based substances that may help protect us against heart disease and cancer.

Although all cultures incorporate vegetables into the diet in one form or another, Oriental cuisines are famous for a style of cooking that preserves the freshness and nutrients of vegetables as well as highlighting visual presentation: stir frying.

The wok is a perfect tool for stir frying vegetables. The flared sides permit easy, rapid tossing of the ingredients, which requires a minimum amount of oil. To obtain optimum results, it is important that the wok be very hot. Vegetables should be chopped or sliced thin in bite-size pieces. Put vegetables that need a slightly longer cooking time in first, such as carrots and onions. Stir and toss the vegetables constantly--it will only take a short time.

Stir-fries are a great way to use up extra vegetables or take advantage of seasonal specials, as no special combination is necessary. A little creativity and a few basic ingredients go a long way. Try a variety of sauces and marinades, too. There are a number of bottled sauces available that make for a quick and healthy meal paired with vegetables, whole grains, and chicken, seafood, meat, or tofu. Good choices include San-J Thai Peanut sauce, John Troy's Natural Saucery Indian Curry, Jamaican Jerk or Thai sauce, or Mr. Spice Ginger Stir-Fry Sauce.

Here are a few recipes to get you started, from Vegetarian Chinese Cooking by Wendy Lee. Although there is no meat in the following recipes, cooked meat, chicken, and fish can be easily added or substituted.

Chow Mein
(serves 4)
1 pound egg noodles
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
2 carrots, cut into thin sticks
1 1/3 cups quartered mushrooms
4 ounces snow peas
1/2 English cucumber, cut into sticks
2 cups shredded spinach
2 cups beansprouts
2 Tbs. soy sauce
1 Tbs. sherry
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. cornstarch
1 tsp. sesame oil or hot chili oil

Cook the noodles according to the package instructions. Drain and rinse under running water until cool. Set aside.

Heat 3 tablespoons of the vegetable oil in a wok or large, heavy skillet. Add the sliced onion and sticks of carrot, and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add the mushrooms, snow peas and cucumber sticks, and stir-fry an additional minute.

Stir in the remaining vegetable oil, and add the drained noodles with the spinach and beansprouts.

Blend together the remaining ingredients, and pour over the noodles and vegetables. Stir-fry until thoroughly heated, and serve.

Gingered Broccoli with Orange
(serves 4)
1 1/2 pounds broccoli
2 thin slices ginger root
2 garlic cloves
1 orange
2 tsp. cornstarch
1 Tbs. soy sauce
1/2 tsp. sugar
2 Tbs. vegetable oil

Divide the broccoli heads into small florets. Peel the broccoli stems, using a vegetable peeler, and then cut the stems into thin slices. Cut the ginger root into matchsticks, and slice the garlic.

Peel 2 long strips of zest from the orange, and cut into thin strips. Place the strips in a bowl. Cover with cold water, and set aside. Squeeze the juice from the orange, and mix with the cornstarch, soy sauce, sugar and 4 tablespoons water.

Heat the oil in a wok or large skillet. Add the broccoli stem slices, and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Add the ginger, garlic and broccoli florets, and stir-fry for an additional 3 minutes.

Stir in the orange sauce mixture, and cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce has thickened and coated the broccoli.

Drain the reserved orange rind, and stir in before serving.

Eggplant in Chili Sauce
(serves 4)
1 large eggplant
vegetable oil for frying
2 carrots
4 scallions
2 large garlic cloves
1 Tbs. vegetable oil
2 tsp. chili or hoisin sauce
1 Tbs. soy sauce
1 Tbs. dry sherry

Slice the eggplant into thick slices, and then cut into strips about the size of french fries.

Heat enough oil in a large saucepan to deep-fry the eggplant in batches until just browned. Remove the eggplant slices with a perforated spoon, and drain them on paper towels. (To significantly reduce the fat content of this dish, eggplant can be steamed until tender.)

Cut the carrots into thin matchsticks. Trim and slice the scallions diagonally. Slice the garlic cloves.

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a wok or large skillet. Add the carrot matchsticks, and stir-fry for 1 minute; then add the chopped scallions and garlic and stir-fry for an additional minute.

Stir in the chili sauce, soy sauce, and sherry, then stir in the drained eggplant. Make sure the eggplant is heated through before serving.