Fresh Stir-Fry

We love vegetables in our house and one of our favorite ways to eat them is in a stir-fry. Here are two good versions we’ve had at our house recently. I served the broccoli stir-fry with baked teriyaki pork chops, brown rice, and big hunks of pineapple. The pork & asparagus stir-fry got jasmine rice and mandarin oranges to accompany it. The notation beside it in my recipe binder says, “Really flippin’ awesome.”

Stir-fried Broccoli

2 tbsp. soy sauce or tamari

1 tbsp. sake (you can sub dry sherry, if you can’t lay your hands on sake)

1 tbsp. water

3 tsp. oil

1 tbsp. sesame oil

1 bunch of broccoli, divided into small florets

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp. minced fresh ginger

1/2 c. minced basil leaves

½ tsp. sugar

Mix soy sauce, sake, & water in a small dish. Heat a large skillet or wok on high for about 4 minutes (I don’t recommend using a skillet with non-stick coating here). Add 2 tsp. oil and heat for a minute, until it just starts to smoke. Add broccoli and stir-fry a couple minutes (by which I mostly mean 2), until just tender. Push to the sides of the skillet and add garlic, ginger, and 1 tsp. oil to the center of the pan. Sauté about 10 seconds, remove from heat, and stir everything together. Return to heat and add soy/sake mixture. Cook 30 seconds. Add basil & sugar and cook 30 more seconds. Serves 4-6.

Pork & Asparagus Stir-Fry

1 lb. boneless pork loin, fat trimmed, cut into thin strips

¼ c. soy/tamari

1 tbsp. sake

2 tsp. minced fresh ginger

1 ½ lb. asparagus, broken into 3-4” pieces

½ c. + 2 tbsp. water

2 tsp. oil

Sliced scallion for garnish

Mix pork with soy, sake, and ginger. Marinate about half an hour (longer is okay, too). Cook asparagus and ½ c. water, in covered skillet over high heat, stirring occasionally, for 2-4 minutes. Drain. Wipe skillet dry and heat on high. Add oil and heat another minute. Remove pork from marinade and stir-fry 3-5 minutes, until cooked through. Add marinade and 2 tbsp. water. Stir until it comes to a boil. Add asparagus and heat through. Serve garnished with scallion. Serves 4-6.