Stirred Not Fried 2 Ways
It is mid October, when summer vegetables are nearing their end, so rush to your nearest farmers market and grab what's left! (As with many of the ingredients that we use, these are available almost year round, but best when in season where you live). Tonight's dinner is a celebration of a few of my favourite vegetables, the crunchy red cabbage, the mild zucchini and the sweat red (or green) hot chilli pepper. These together with carrots, spring onions, mint and cilantro, also still available this month, make an awesome, quick, and delicious family meal. Add some hemp seeds (or sesame seeds) and shelled edamame (or fresh or frozen green peas) and your will revel in the celebration of flavours while effortlessly meeting your nutritional needs.
This recipe is a nod to many meals out while studying and playing in San Francisco, CA, home of Asian fusion, at least for me. I fondly remember my first noodle bowl and the 'OMFG, this is awesome!' moment. A total revelation and with an option of any mixture of exciting flavours and sauces in exotic bottles. This is meant to be quick and like all recipes we throw together, it has no rules, so put the books down and play!
Two sauces come to mind for this medley, a peanut sauce for a more indulgent evening meal and a Tamari dressing for a lighter version. If you end up having more veg than you can manage for one meal, save the rest for the Burrito Bowl.
What you will end up with is essentially a slaw that can be lathered in the dressings and served over a whole grain, seed or pseudo grain of your choice. For the peanut sauce I go for buckwheat soba noodles and with the lighter tamari dressing, black wild rice.
To make life easy, both dressing are essentially the same. Both are a dressing of tamari, a byproduct of miso paste and very close in flavour to soy sauce (feel free to substitute with soy sauce), garlic, sesame oil (optional), Sriracha and lemon juice. The peanut sauce is made with the addition of a little coconut milk or cashew milk and peanut butter.
The young may not share our appreciation for heat, both from taste and temperature, and we should also monitor their salt intake. Keep the children's share of veg mix and noodles aside and make a sauce especially for them. Baby Green likes sauces and the closer in proximity to what we are eating, the better, but we go easy on the salt. An easy way to accommodate is to add cashew or coconut cream as well as using tomato paste (again, check the ingredients list for salt) in the sauce rather than Sriracha .
Ingredients for 2:
- 1 X courgette/zucchini
- 1 X tennis ball chunk of red cabbage
- 1 X (or more, I side with more) chilli pepper
- 2 X long spring onions/scallions
- 1 X carrot
- 1 X small handful of mint
- 1 X handful of coriander/cilantro
- 2 X handfuls of shelled edamame (peas)
- 2 X tbs of shelled hemp seeds (sesame seeds)
Method:
- Shred carrot, courgette and cabbage
- Chop/dice/mince spring onions, chillies, mint and cilantro
- Thaw edemame
- Mix all with hemp seeds
Sauce (Basic):
- 3 tbsp spoon Tamari/soy sauce
- 2 Cloves Garlic
- 1 tbs Siracha (depending on the heat of your chilli/es) can substitute with tomato paste
- 1 tbs sesame oil (ok to leave out, I do)
- Juice of 1 lemon/lime
Peanut:
- Same as above
- 2 exaggerated tbs of peanut butter
- 2 tbs coconut/cashew milk
Method:
- Mince or press garlic
- Put garlic and all sauce ingredients into a jar and shake
- Peanut sauce needs to be blended/processed/whisked (I whisk, especially when using chunky peanut butter)
Noodles:
- I don't know, enough for you guys and your little one(s), how hungry are you?
Method:
- Cook according to instructions on the packet and then run under cold water to stop cooking and to stop the noodles from sticking. When ready to serve toss the noodles in tamari/soy sauce to loosen, then toss with the vegetable slaw.
Tools:
- Veg peeler
- Food processor/ box grater/ good old knife
- Jar
- Pot
- Large mixing bowl
- Colander
- Table spoon
- Citrus Juicer/ fork
- Garlic press
- Blender/ food processor/whisk
- Love
