Quick & Easy Chinese (31 page)
Read Quick & Easy Chinese Online
Authors: Nancie McDermott
Though I never heard of asparagus until I was fully grown and far from my North Carolina home, I adored it at once. Prep is as simple as snapping off the woody base of each stalk, and cooking time is short. Simply delicious hot from the pan or grill, it is also wonderful cold or at room temperature for quick suppers or a picnic lunch. Adjust cooking time to the size you find, remembering that slender stalks will cook more quickly than thick, sturdy ones will.
1 pound asparagus (about 1 standard bunch)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
5 thin, quarter-sized slices fresh ginger
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup water
1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil
SERVES
4
To prepare the asparagus, break off and discard the woody, pale-colored base of each stalk, about 2 inches. (Hold base in one hand and bend the stalk hard; the stalk will snap apart at the natural breaking point.)
Cut the usable part of the stalks on the diagonal into 2-inch sections, setting the tips aside in a small pile and the rest in a large pile.
Heat a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat for about 30 seconds. Add the vegetable oil and turn the pan to coat it evenly. Add the ginger and salt and cook, scooping and pressing the ginger and mixing the oil and salt, until the ginger is fragrant, about 15 seconds.
Reserving the tips, scatter in the asparagus and toss well. Cook, tossing now and then, until shiny and bright green, about 30 seconds. Add the tips and toss to mix everything well.
Add the water to the pan, pouring it in around the sides, and toss to mix well. Cook, scooping and turning now and then, until the asparagus is tender but still firm, and most of the water has cooked away, about 3 minutes. (Check by piercing with a fork to see if they are tender enough.)
Add the sesame oil and then toss to season well. Turn out onto a serving plate. Serve hot or warm.
This beautiful tumble of vegetables lights up a rice-centered meal, especially if it accompanies a pink pile of
Grilled Ginger Shrimp
(page 104), or boiled shrimp with cocktail sauce. In summertime we star it in a vegetable-centric supper, with slices of sweet, ripe tomatoes and cucumbers from the garden or farmers’ market, a cool green salad, and jalapeño cornbread on the side. You could use fresh corn cut right off the cob, or frozen or canned corn with delicious results.
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 teaspoons chopped garlic
2 slices fresh ginger
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups fresh, frozen, or canned corn kernels
1 cup frozen shelled edamame beans, baby lima beans, or tiny peas
3 tablespoons water
½ cup halved cherry tomatoes (see Note)
½ teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
SERVES
4
NOTE
Substitue chopped Roma tomatoes, chopping two of them coarsely and leaving behind most of their juice and seeds on your cutting board
.
Heat a wok or a large, deep skillet over high heat. Add the vegetable oil and swirl to coat the pan.
Add the garlic, ginger, and salt, and toss well. Add the corn and toss to mix it with the oil. Add the edamame beans and toss to mix everything together well.
Add the water and cook, tossing often, until the corn and edamame beans are hot and tender. (If using fresh corn, add a little extra water and time here until it is cooked.)
Add the cherry tomatoes and sugar, and toss gently to mix them in evenly and heat them just a little. Add the sesame oil and cilantro, toss well, and transfer to a serving plate. Serve hot or warm.