Do you ever feel a little uninspired when cooking vegetables? You’re not alone. I’ve been looking for interesting ways to incorporate more flavor into healthy green ingredients. Sometimes I feel like when I’m selecting produce at the grocery store, I pick up a bunch of broccolini and it’s staring at me saying “So, how are you gonna make them love me?” Geez, no pressure! This time I had just the right answer, a quick stir-fried broccolini with shiitake mushrooms and a spicy sriracha sesame soy sauce, boom!
If there was one irreplaceable tool in my family’s kitchen, it would be the wok
. My mom would cook just about everything in it, from shrimp fried rice to steamedChinese custard buns. It’s the one pot wonder that demands constant clanging and stirring, which make it a fun spectacle in the kitchen. The best part is the wok is heated so hot, that the vegetables and sauce cook really fast, just don’t walk away too long or your dishes could get over cooked!
. My mom would cook just about everything in it, from shrimp fried rice to steamedChinese custard buns. It’s the one pot wonder that demands constant clanging and stirring, which make it a fun spectacle in the kitchen. The best part is the wok is heated so hot, that the vegetables and sauce cook really fast, just don’t walk away too long or your dishes could get over cooked!
These beautiful bright green broccolini are a hybrid of broccoli and Chinese kale. The stalks are long and slender, with a slightly crunchy texture, a hint of pepper flavor with a touch of sweetness. I like these a little better compared to traditional broccoli because the crowns never get mushy if cooked too long.
To make the greens a little more exciting, diced red bell peppers are added to enhance the pepper notes in the broccolini and give extra crunch. Have you ever noticed that mushrooms almost give a meaty texture and super savory flavor? Yep, that’s exactly why there are added to this stir-fry, so that if your not adding a meat to this dish, you won’t be missing out too much.
To really make the broccolini shine, a spicy red chili and soy based sauce is stir-fried with the vegetables just at the end of cooking. A mixture of fresh garlic, ginger, sesame oil, rice vinegar, Sriracha hot chili sauce
and red pepper flakes are infused together to really give the vegetable dish a kick. The sauce isn’t unbearably hot, just a nice lingering heat. So add more or less of the chili sauce to what you can handle. I’m still building up my tolerance, ha.
and red pepper flakes are infused together to really give the vegetable dish a kick. The sauce isn’t unbearably hot, just a nice lingering heat. So add more or less of the chili sauce to what you can handle. I’m still building up my tolerance, ha.
I could just eat a whole bowl of this broccolini and shiitake stir-fry with a steaming hot bowl of rice and be happy!
TIP: What is the proper way to blanch broccolini?
Blanching allows for tougher vegetables to cook very quickly in salted boiling hot water. This flavors the vegetables and makes them tender in a matter of minutes. To prevent overcooking, a large bowl filled with cold water and ice serves to halt the cooking process immediately. If you don’t do this, the broccolini may go from a nice bright green to a more olive green colors and become overcooked. You only need to chill the broccolini for 5 minutes or until cool, then drain before the last stir-fry with the sauce.
Blanching allows for tougher vegetables to cook very quickly in salted boiling hot water. This flavors the vegetables and makes them tender in a matter of minutes. To prevent overcooking, a large bowl filled with cold water and ice serves to halt the cooking process immediately. If you don’t do this, the broccolini may go from a nice bright green to a more olive green colors and become overcooked. You only need to chill the broccolini for 5 minutes or until cool, then drain before the last stir-fry with the sauce.
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