Chinese Style Vegetables

I’m always trying to incorporate more vegetable into our diet.  This dish is a great way to pick up several plus the many health benefits of ginger, garlic and red chili peppers.  “What health benefits?” you may ask – cancer fighting, antioxidants, that can alleviate the pain of arthritis to name just a few.

I should start off by saying that I know almost nothing about Asian cooking.  We used to stir-fry early in our married life, and Ed had just lived in Korea for a year, so I guess he had some credibility as we prepared those dishes.  Stir-frys are one of many recipes forgotten as we were raising our daughters.  They liked foods to be separate, not jumbled together, and certainly no sauce!  I’m sure those of you with children can relate.  

Ingredients

1/4 cup canola or olive oil

1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 onion, sliced into thin wedges

1 red bell pepper, sliced into thin strips

1 head broccoli, cut into florets and then sliced 1/4 inch thick

3/4 cup chicken or vegetable stock

1/4 head Napa cabbage (from top), sliced 1/2 inch thick

1 cup bean sprouts

4 green onions

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 teaspoons chili sauce

1 tablespoon corn starch

1 tablespoon water

Directions

• Heat oil in a large frying pan or wok on medium-high heat
• Add ginger, garlic, and red pepper flakes, cooking for 30 to 60 seconds
• Remove and reserve the ginger, garlic, and pepper flakes.  I did this by straining the oil into a cup and returning the oil to the pan.  The spices will return to the pan later
• Cook the onion in the oil until translucent and set aside
• Add the red bell pepper and cook until almost tender, set aside
• Add the broccoli, stir-frying for two or three minutes
• Add the chicken stock, and cabbage to the broccoli, stirring and scrapping the bottom of the pan, until the vegetables are tender
• Add the bean sprouts and green onions, stirring to combine
• Add the soy sauce, chili sauce, and the reserved ginger, garlic and red pepper flakes
• Dissolve the corn starch in the water, stirring until no lumps remain
• Add the corn starch and water to the veggies and heat until the liquid thickens