Chinese Style Stir-Fried Vegetables

Moosewood Cookbook

Basic Stir Fry Sauce:                                       

¼ cup soy sauce                                              

1 tsp sesame oil

1-¼ cups water                                               

1 TBSP sugar

1 TBSP grated ginger (fresh)                            

1 TBSP plus 1 tsp cider vinegar

2 large cloves garlic, minced                             

2 TBSP dry sherry or Chinese rice wine

3 TBSP cornstarch

  Combine all ingredients, except cornstarch, in small bowl.  Place cornstarch in a separate small bowl and gradually whisk in the other ingredients.

The Stir Fry:

2-3 TBSP peanut oil                                        

½ lb. mushrooms, sliced

1 medium onion, chopped                                

2 medium sweet peppers, sliced in strips

½ tsp salt                                                         

a few handfuls fresh spinach

1 large head broccoli, chopped                        

2 large carrots, in thin slices (stem chopped also)          

2 cups coarsely chopped cabbage

cooked rice or noodles                                    

1 Batch Basic Stir Fry Sauce

  Heat a large wok or a deep skillet for about 1 minute over medium heat.  Add oil, onion, and salt.  Stir fry for about a minute.  Add broccoli, carrot, and cabbage, turn up the heat.  Stir-fry for about 3-4 minutes, or until the vegetables begin to get tender.  Add mushrooms and sweet peppers.  Stir-fry another 4-5 minutes, or until the peppers begin to get soft.  Add spinach.

  Whisk the sauce to reincorporate the cornstarch, and pour all of it in.  Stir from the bottom of the wok or skillet, and keep the heat constantly high.  Within about 3 minutes the sauce will thicken and turn all the vegetables shiny.  Remove from heat, spoon over rice or noodles, and serve right away.