When all else fails...COOK!!
Jun. 20th, 2008 08:33 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
maygraYears ago, my mother gave me a wok as a birthday present. I used it pretty steadily for a half-dozen years, then I moved and the stove was electric and ..yeah. Under the cabinets it went. We've been doing some cleaning and culling around the house and I pulled it out. It's not particularly deep, and it's aluminum, not iron, but it's still got a nice seasoned finished to it still and after a scrub and re-seasoning, it was good to go.
I really recommend that if you don't have a wok, you get one, even if you aren't all that fond of asian food. Buy an electric one if you have to (there are decent ones for not much money) because it really is an efficient way to cook fast. I kind of adore one pot cooking and I'm incredibly impatient, but I don't want to give up flavor or texture, so yeah, wok.
At any rate, I've been putting it to good use lately and since I'm getting shit-all else done, writing-wise, cooking is my therapy...so...
5 Spice Pork Meatball Stir Fry
1 lb ground pork
1 large carrot, peeled and then slivered (or strip peeled)
2 Bok Choy stalks chopped (with leaves)
1/2 yellow onion sliced
1/2 green pepper sliced
1 cup bamboo shoots
6-7 scallions, chopped (green parts only)
1 package rice threads (rice vermiccelli) cooked, drained & cooled (or 2 cups cooked rice)
1 tsp fresh grated ginger
1/8 cup soy sauce
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
3 Tablespoons corn or peanut oil
1/2 tsp chinese fivespice* (or you can grind your own: coriander, anise, cinnamon, white pepper, licorice root, ginger, cloves -- yeah, I know it's more than 5, I don't know either)
2 Tblsps hoison or plum sauce. (optional)
Take the pork and make meatballs, fairly large (they cook down.) I can usually get 10-12 out of a pound of ground pork.
In a small bowl mix fresh ginger, soy, pepper flakes, fivespice, and hoison sauce. Mix well.
In a wok (seriously recommended) or deep-sided non-stick frypan, heat the oil and drop the meatballs in. Cook until nearly brown on all sides. Scooch them to the middle. Reduce heat to medium.
On top of the browned meatballs lay, in this order, onions, peppers, bok choy, carrots, bamboo shoots, scallions. Cover and let steam for about 3-5 minutes or until onions start to wilt. Pour spice mix on top and toss everything together until vegetables are the desired tenderness.
Lay cooled rice noodles (or cooked rice - if you use rice, serve it warm) on plate and serve meatball and veg mixture over them. Serves 4.
*fivespice is really like curry. There's a lot of variations, so check the labels if you buy it off the shelf. This one does in fact, taste a little like a sweet curry, and a little goes a long way. The whole dish has a sweet heat to it, not overwhelmingly hot and not actually sweet. Plus, your kitchen will smell amazing.
My roommate, who doesn't really like curry or the very sweet Chinese sauce dishes, really like this.
I really recommend that if you don't have a wok, you get one, even if you aren't all that fond of asian food. Buy an electric one if you have to (there are decent ones for not much money) because it really is an efficient way to cook fast. I kind of adore one pot cooking and I'm incredibly impatient, but I don't want to give up flavor or texture, so yeah, wok.
At any rate, I've been putting it to good use lately and since I'm getting shit-all else done, writing-wise, cooking is my therapy...so...
5 Spice Pork Meatball Stir Fry
1 lb ground pork
1 large carrot, peeled and then slivered (or strip peeled)
2 Bok Choy stalks chopped (with leaves)
1/2 yellow onion sliced
1/2 green pepper sliced
1 cup bamboo shoots
6-7 scallions, chopped (green parts only)
1 package rice threads (rice vermiccelli) cooked, drained & cooled (or 2 cups cooked rice)
1 tsp fresh grated ginger
1/8 cup soy sauce
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
3 Tablespoons corn or peanut oil
1/2 tsp chinese fivespice* (or you can grind your own: coriander, anise, cinnamon, white pepper, licorice root, ginger, cloves -- yeah, I know it's more than 5, I don't know either)
2 Tblsps hoison or plum sauce. (optional)
Take the pork and make meatballs, fairly large (they cook down.) I can usually get 10-12 out of a pound of ground pork.
In a small bowl mix fresh ginger, soy, pepper flakes, fivespice, and hoison sauce. Mix well.
In a wok (seriously recommended) or deep-sided non-stick frypan, heat the oil and drop the meatballs in. Cook until nearly brown on all sides. Scooch them to the middle. Reduce heat to medium.
On top of the browned meatballs lay, in this order, onions, peppers, bok choy, carrots, bamboo shoots, scallions. Cover and let steam for about 3-5 minutes or until onions start to wilt. Pour spice mix on top and toss everything together until vegetables are the desired tenderness.
Lay cooled rice noodles (or cooked rice - if you use rice, serve it warm) on plate and serve meatball and veg mixture over them. Serves 4.
*fivespice is really like curry. There's a lot of variations, so check the labels if you buy it off the shelf. This one does in fact, taste a little like a sweet curry, and a little goes a long way. The whole dish has a sweet heat to it, not overwhelmingly hot and not actually sweet. Plus, your kitchen will smell amazing.
My roommate, who doesn't really like curry or the very sweet Chinese sauce dishes, really like this.
