THE EVERYTHING® STIR-FRY COOKBOOK
Page 27
Pineapple Fried Rice
In Thailand, a more elaborate version of Pineapple Fried Rice calls for the fried rice to be served in a carved-out pineapple.
One day ahead of time, prepare the Coconut-Scented Rice. Store the rice in a sealed container in the refrigerator.
Rinse the shrimp under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels. Lightly beat the eggs, stirring in the salt and pepper.
Heat a wok or skillet over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon oil. When the oil is hot, reduce the heat to medium and add the egg mixture. Lightly scramble the eggs. Remove them from the pan and clean out the pan.
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in the wok or skillet. When the oil is hot, add the garlic. Stir-fry for 10 seconds, then add the onion and the shrimp. Stir-fry for about 2 minutes, until the shrimp turns pink and the onion begins to soften. Add the red bell pepper. Stir-fry for a minute, stirring in the soy sauce. Stir in the pineapple.
Push the vegetables to the sides or remove from the wok (whether you need to do this will depend on the size of your wok) and heat 1 tablespoon oil. Add the cooked rice to the hot oil and stir-fry briefly. Either add the vegetables back into the pan or stir to mix the rice in with the vegetables. Stir in the scrambled eggs and the green onions. Stir in the oyster sauce. Stir-fry briefly to heat through, and serve hot.
Rice — the Staff of Life Rice is the primary source of energy for over half of the world's population, largely because it is an excellent source of energy and has a high calorie count, and is relatively inexpensive to grow. Also, rice can be directly consumed after harvesting, without any further processing (unlike cereal crops such as wheat, which need to be processed into cereal, flour, or another food before being consumed).
Serves 2 to 3
Coconut-Scented Rice (page 228)
¼ pound shrimp, shelled, deveined
2 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
Black or white pepper to taste
4 tablespoons vegetable or peanut oil, divided
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
½ cup chopped onion
1 red bell pepper, cut into bite-sized chunks
1 tablespoon Chinese light soy sauce or fish sauce
1 cup pineapple chunks, drained
2 green onions, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
Serves 2 to 4
2 large eggs
Salt and pepper to taste
3 tablespoons vegetable or peanut oil, divided
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 onion, chopped
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 tablespoon shrimp paste
3 cups cooked long-grain white rice
1 cooked chicken breast, shredded
6–8 cooked medium shrimp
2 tablespoons kecap manis or dark soy sauce
Indonesian Fried Rice (Nasi Goreng)
Made from fermented shrimp, shrimp paste is available in Asian grocery stores. You can adjust this recipe to use only chicken or shrimp or to use uncooked chicken and shrimp if desired (just stir-fry the ingredients first and then use as called for in the recipe).
Lightly beat the eggs, stirring in the salt and pepper. Heat a wok or skillet over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon oil. When the oil is hot, reduce the heat to medium and pour in the beaten eggs. Cook until the eggs are firm, turning over once. Remove the cooked eggs and cut into thin strips. Clean out the pan.
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in the wok or skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the garlic and onion. Sprinkle the chili powder over the mixture and stir-fry for about 2 minutes, until the onion begins to soften. Add the shrimp paste and continue stir-frying until the onion has softened.
Add the rice and stir-fry for 1 to 2 minutes, until it begins to turn golden. Stir in the cooked chicken and shrimp. Stir in the kecap manis or dark soy sauce. Stir-fry for 1 to 2 more minutes, to blend the ingredients.
Before serving, remove the fried rice from the wok or skillet and lay the strips of fried egg on top.
10
Vegetable Dishes
Stir-Fried Zucchini
Vegetable Sweet and Sour “Pork”
Stir-Fried Celery
Simple Sprouts Stir-Fry
Celery and Bamboo Shoots
Spicy Fries
Vegetarian “Fajitas”
Veggie Loaded Egg Foo Yung
Quick Fried Green Tomatoes
Lucky Three Vegetables
Stir-Fried Cabbage
Double Nutty Fiddlehead Greens with Sesame
Thai-Inspired Creamed Corn
Burgundy Mushrooms
Stir-Fried Cauliflower
Cucumbers with Oyster Sauce
Glazed Carrots
Indian Spiced Okra
Spicy Cucumbers
Indian Creamed Spinach
Stir-Fried Bok Choy
Vegetarian Cashew Chili
Three Flavor Celery
Stir-Fried Baby Corn
Hot Spinach Salad
Easy Mixed-Vegetable Stir-Fry
Two-Step Broccoli
Mushrooms and Bamboo Shoots
Portobello Mushroom Burgers
Vegetarian Jambalaya
Speedy Vegetarian Chop Suey
Spring Vegetable Medley
Cauliflower Fried “Rice”
Thai-Style Mixed Vegetables
Serves 2 to 4
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 large zucchini, cut on the diagonal into 1-inch slices
¼ teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 tablespoon soy sauce
Serves 4
2 tablespoons vegetable or peanut oil
1 teaspoon minced ginger
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 carrots, peeled and cut on the diagonal into thin slices
1 green bell pepper, seeded and cut into bite-sized chunks
Salt to taste
1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into bite-sized chunks
Pineapple Sweet and Sour Sauce (page 25)
1 cup canned pineapple chunks
Black pepper to taste
Stir-Fried Zucchini
Zucchini is the perfect vegetable for quick stir-frying, as it is high in moisture and not too tough.
Heat a wok or skillet over medium-high heat until it is nearly smoking. Add the oil.
When the oil is hot, add the zucchini. Sprinkle the salt over the zucchini. Stir-fry for a minute, then stir in the soy sauce.
Stir-fry the zucchini until it turns dark green and is tender but still crisp (about 3 minutes). Serve hot.
Vegetable Sweet and Sour “Pork”
This easy version of the popular restaurant dish takes only minutes to make. To speed things up even further, wash and drain the vegetables and prepare the sauce earlier in the day.
Heat a wok or skillet over medium-high heat until it is nearly smoking. Add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the minced ginger and garlic. Stir-fry for 10 seconds, then add the carrots and green bell pepper. Stir-fry for 1 minute, adding a bit of salt if desired.
Add the red pepper. Stir-fry for 1 more minute or until the vegetables are tender but still crisp.
Add the sauce and bring to a boil, stirring quickly to thicken. Add the pineapple chunks. Stir-fry for 2 more minutes or until all the ingredients are heated through. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding pepper if desired. Serve hot.
Stir-Fried Celery
Celery is another high-moisture vegetable that is perfect for stir-fries. Stir-frying celery deepens its natural green color.
Heat a wok or skillet over medium-high heat until it is nearly smoking. Add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the ginger. Stir-fry for 10 seconds and add the celery. Sprinkle the salt over the celery and stir-fry until it begins to turn a brighter green (about 1 minute). Add the nutmeg, cinnamon, and the sugar. Stir-fry for another minute, mixing the celery with the spices. Serve hot or cold.
Simple Sprouts Stir-Fry
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bsp; The trick to stir-frying mung bean sprouts is to go light on the seasonings and not to overcook them.
Rinse the mung bean sprouts and drain thoroughly.
Heat a wok or skillet over medium-high heat until it is nearly smoking and add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the ginger. Brown for 2 to 3 minutes and then remove from the pan.
Add the mung bean sprouts. Stir-fry for a minute, stirring in the soy sauce. Stir-fry for a bit longer, stirring in the salt, sugar, and sesame oil if using. Serve hot.
Serves 2 to 4
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
2 slices ginger, minced
2 ribs celery, cut on the diagonal into thin slices
¼ teaspoon salt, or to taste
teaspoon nutmeg, or to taste
teaspoon cinnamon, or to taste
¼ teaspoon granulated sugar
Serves 3 to 4
3 cups mung bean sprouts
1 tablespoon vegetable or peanut oil
2 thin slices ginger
1 tablespoon soy sauce
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon granulated sugar
½ teaspoon Asian sesame oil, optional
Serves 4
1 cup sliced bamboo shoots
1½ tablespoons dark soy sauce
1½ tablespoons chicken broth
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1½ tablespoons vegetable or peanut oil
2 slices ginger
2 ribs celery, cut into ½-inch pieces on the diagonal
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon sesame oil
Celery and Bamboo Shoots
If you live near an Asian market, feel free to use a fresh bamboo shoot in this recipe. Boil the shoot for 15 minutes to soften, and then cut into ¼-inch-thick slices.
If using canned bamboo shoots, rinse under warm running water. Drain thoroughly.
Combine the dark soy sauce, chicken broth, and sugar in the bowl. Set aside.
Heat a wok or skillet on medium-high heat. Add the oil, swirling it around the wok or skillet so that it covers the sides. When the oil is hot, add the ginger. Stir-fry for 10 seconds and add the celery. Sprinkle the salt over the celery and stir-fry until it begins to turn a brighter green (about 1 minute).
Add the bamboo shoots. Stir-fry for another minute, then add the sauce. Stir for a few more seconds to mix the vegetables with the sauce; turn down the heat. Cover and simmer for 3 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.
Remove the wok or skillet from the heat. Stir in the sesame oil. Remove the ginger slices or leave in as desired. Serve immediately.
Preparing Canned Vegetables Fresh is always best, but it's often easier to find canned versions of Chinese vegetables such as water chestnuts, bamboo shoots, and baby corn. To get rid of any taste of tin from the can, rinse the vegetables under running water or blanch them briefly in boiling water.
Spicy Fries
For an interesting contrast in texture and flavor, serve this spicy dish with Chicken with Bean Sprouts (page 38).
Cut the potato lengthwise into thin strips. Lay flat and slice lengthwise again into very thin strips (about inch thick).
Heat a wok or skillet on medium-high heat until it is nearly smoking. Add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the ginger and the chile paste. Stir-fry for about 30 seconds.
Add the sliced potato. Stir-fry, stirring and tossing the potato strips around the pan. Stir in the salt and the five-spice powder. Splash the potato with the rice wine and continue stir-frying for 6 minutes or until the strips firm up and begin to brown. Serve immediately.
Fabulous Five-Spice Powder An intriguing mix of sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and pungent flavors, five-spice powder is an indispensable tool in any Chinese cook's culinary repertoire. Cooks rely on five-spice powder to lend flavor to everything from meat marinades and rubs to stuffings. Thanks to its rising popularity, five-spice powder is available in the spice section of most supermarkets, as well as Asian groceries and specialty shops.
Serves 2 to 4
1 large potato, peeled
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 slices ginger, minced
1–2 tablespoons chile paste, as desired
1 teaspoon salt
1½ teaspoons five-spice powder
1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
Yields 4 fajitas
4 tortillas
2 portions Feisty Fajita Marinade (page 24)
2 Japanese eggplants, quartered and cut on the diagonal into 1-inch pieces
½ cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons vegetable or peanut oil
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 green onions, cut on the diagonal into thirds
Vegetarian “Fajitas”
You can load up this basic vegetarian filling with raw vegetables, such as sliced tomato, avocado, or raw sweet red onion.
Heat the flour tortillas according to the package directions. Keep warm in a 250°F oven while preparing the filling.
Brush one portion of the marinade on the eggplant. Let sit for 15 minutes. Stir the remainder of the marinade into the chicken broth. Set aside.
Heat a wok or skillet over medium-high heat until it is nearly smoking. Add 2 tablespoons oil. When the oil is hot, add the minced garlic. Stir-fry for 10 seconds, then add the eggplant. Stir-fry until the eggplant begins to brown (about 3 minutes). Pour the chicken broth mixture over the eggplant. Turn down the heat, cover, and simmer until the eggplant is tender. Stir in the green onions.
Lay a tortilla out flat. Spoon a portion of the stir-fried vegetable mixture onto the tortilla, making sure the filling isn't too close to the edges. Fold in the left and right sides of the tortilla and tuck in the edges. Repeat with the remainder of the tortillas until the filling is used up.
What Is a Diagonal Cut? Recipes frequently call for vegetables to be cut on the diagonal prior to stir-frying. Diagonal cutting exposes more of the vegetable's surface area, allowing it to cook more quickly. To cut vegetables on the diagonal, hold the knife or cleaver at a 60-degree angle and cut the vegetable crosswise.
Veggie Loaded Egg Foo Yung
For extra flavor, add 1 or 2 teaspoons oyster sauce to the egg mixture with the other seasonings. Vegetarians can use a vegetarian version of oyster sauce made with mushrooms.
Heat a wok or skillet on medium-high heat until it is nearly smoking. Add 1 tablespoon oil. When the oil is hot, add the onion and the mushrooms. Stir-fry for about 2 minutes or until the onion begins to soften. Stir in the shredded carrot and red bell pepper. Stir-fry for 1 minute, then add the bean sprouts. Remove the vegetables from the pan.
Beat the eggs lightly, stirring in the salt, pepper, and sesame oil. Stir in the cooked vegetables.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in the wok or skillet. When the oil is hot, add the egg mixture. Cook until golden brown on both sides, turning over once during cooking. Serve hot.
Vegetable Stir-Fry Times Softer vegetables like zucchini and bell peppers need to be stir-fried for only a couple of minutes, while thicker, harder vegetables like broccoli and carrots take longer. If you're planning to combine several types of vegetables in a stir-fry and aren't sure about cooking times, simply stir-fry them all separately and combine them in the wok in the final stages of cooking.
Serves 2 to 4
2 tablespoons vegetable or peanut oil, divided
½ medium onion, chopped
¼ pound button mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 medium carrot, shredded
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 cup mung bean sprouts
6 eggs
¼ teaspoon salt
Freshly ground white pepper to taste
1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil
Serves 4
½ teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
½ teaspoon dried oregano
¼ cup cornmeal
3 green tomatoes, cut in slices
½ inch thick
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br /> 2 tablespoons olive oil
Serves 2
1 red bell pepper
4 Napa cabbage leaves
1 cup canned straw mushrooms
1½ tablespoons vegetable or peanut oil
2 teaspoons minced ginger
½ teaspoon salt
1–2 tablespoons chicken broth or water
Quick Fried Green Tomatoes
Picked from the vine before they have fully ripened, firm green tomatoes are a great addition to stir-fries.
Combine the salt, black pepper, oregano, and cornmeal in a bowl.
Dredge the tomato slices with the cornmeal mixture.
Heat a wok or skillet on medium heat until it is nearly smoking. Add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the green tomatoes. Stir-fry for about 2 minutes or until the tomatoes turn golden brown. Serve hot.
Lucky Three Vegetables
The number 3 symbolizes success in Chinese culture. However, the Cantonese believe the number 4 is very unlucky, so think twice before adding one more vegetable to this dish!
Cut the bell pepper in half, remove the seeds, and cut into thin strips. Cut the cabbage leaves crosswise into thin strips. Cut the straw mushrooms in half.
Heat a wok or skillet on medium-high heat until it is nearly smoking. Add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the ginger. Stir-fry for 10 seconds, until aromatic.