Mixed Vegetable Stir-Fry

It is one of the easiest things to make. The only problem is that it cannot be made in advance. Vegetable stir-fry should be eaten as soon as it is made. So, just pre-cut all vegetables and make rice while your baby is watching Baby Mozart and do the actual frying right before dinner.

1. Cut – garlic - the more the better, onion – ½ of red, white, or few shoots of green whichever you have (today I am using the red onion), zucchini – 2 small, two small bell peppers (I used one red and 1 orange), broccoli (small cup of florets) and a bunch of bok choi (or Chinese cabbage or any other Chinese green leaf vegetable).
2. Heat well sesame oil (2 tbsp) and olive oil(1 tbsp).
3. Add garlic and onion - stir fry till nicely fragrant but not too brown.
4. Add zucchinis, bell peppers, broccoli – stir fry till brown on edges but still crispy.
5. Add green leafy vegetables, stir fry till more or less cooked – one minute or so.
6. Add soy sauce(2 tbsp), rice vinegar (1 tbsp), hoisin sauce (1 tsp) – mix well – cook for 1 min.
7. Remove and immediately serve with rice.

Tip of the day

Make rice in a microwave – 1 cup of basmati rice + 2 cups of water + 1 whole clove + 1 tsp of olive or any other oil – put in a microwavable pot with a heavy lid and cook on maximum for 20 minutes.

Cooking Mommy

What's cooking tonight?

Tonight's dish is a middle eastern recipe. It is perfect for a vegetarian household, but it would go well with lamb chops or lamb roast.

Chick peas with couscous

I found it somewhere on the net long time ago and it has been a favorite ever since. Of course, my version is a simplified one.

1. Heat couple of table spoons of olive oil in a bowl
2. Add a dash of cumin seeds and a bit of chopped fresh ginger and fry till fragrant
3. Add half a tea spoon of curry powder and fry few seconds
4. Add chopped tomatoes – 1 big tomato – fry till softens
5. Add salt, half a tea spoon of honey, and a tea spoon of freshly ground black pepper
6. Add half a can of chick peas and a bit of water – about half a cup – mix and let it boil till tomato is cooked
7. Add half a cup of couscous, mix
8. Add chopped coriander leaves
9. Cover with the lid and let stand for 10 minutes add more hot water if needed
10. Serve with any indian pickles such as Patak's or National Mixed Pickle and plain yoghurt
    

To simply this recipe even further:

• Use crashed fresh frozen ginger and add it together with tomatoes
• Use canned chopped tomatoes – a cup or so
• Amount of water differs depending on how much liquid tomato gave
• This dish should be a bit spicy, so black pepper is a must - quantities for all other ingredients vary

P.S. I do not attempt to provide the correct quantities of ingridients as I always vary them when I cook. This recipe is a guideline not an absolute truth.