So, I really, really like to cook straight ahead like you would get in a quick and dirty Chinese restaurant Chinese food. I wasn’t even really exposed to Chinese food until college, but once I broke my cherry… oh my god. However, generally I feel bad going out and getting Chinese food, since it costs too much and it really isn’t that good for you. But, when I’m at home, and I control all the ingredients…
Five years ago I got a wok for Christmas. Now, it isn’t some designer wok, but it is well-constructed and made of good metal. I seasoned it just like you’re supposed to, and then started cooking with it maybe twice a week. I have been very good to my wok – I use it regularly, I always wash it while it is still hot, I never let water sit in it, I never use soap to clean it, and I polish it with sesame oil after I dry it every time I use it. Because of this, my wok has been very good to me. It makes thinks taste the way you think they should taste. Things rarely stick to the surface, and when they do, the wok deglazes with a minimal amount of liquid. It has stepped outside it’s comfort zone and helped to make some incredible curries and soups. My wok is not just another pan, it is a tool, an extension of myself. We have an amazing cooperative relationship. I know the characteristics, and can respond in kind.
But I digress.
So, I made what you see below. The tatsoi took the place of noodles in this straight ahead recipe. And man, did it step up to the plate. Also, godDAMN I love peppers. When I was thinking about making this today, I realized how many peppers I had in my fridge, and how I really needed to eat them soon… and I wouldn’t have had the shitakes if the mushroom guy at the farmer’s market hadn’t hooked me up. But they really are something special. So, yeah
Stir fried Tatsoi with vegetables
1 head tatsoi, cored, cleaned, and steamed until tender
1 clove garlic, minced
½ yellow onion, sliced
½ orange bell pepper, cut in strips
½ sweet yellow south American pepper, cut in strips (I don’t remember it’s name, but I always get one from the abbondanzas.)
1 very hot chili pepper
¼ cup shitake mushrooms, stems separated, chopped
2 T Soy sauce
½ T Tamarind paste
Canola oil
Sesame oil
Okay, so steam the tatsoi. If any of the stalks are too think, just slit them in half. After you steam them, strain them and get rid of as much water as you can. To a hot wok, add about a teaspoon of canola (gotta get a good omega-3/omega-6 ration somehow…) and the garlic, onion, shitake stems, and chili pepper. Cook until the onion starts changing color, and add the peppers and mushrooms. Once the onions are cooked, push the veggies to the sides of the wok and add about 1 T of sesame oil. Once it heats up, add the tatsoi directly on top of the oil. Allow it to cook momentarily, then stir in vegetables. Add soy and tamarind, and cook until remaining liquid thickens, about 5 minutes.
Okay, seriously. Like whoa. Also, putting the mushroom stems at the spicing time instead of at the cooking time allowed them to give their flavor to the oil. It was really nice. And the tatsoi acts like noodles when it has been steamed; the stalks stay slightly chewy but the whole thing is very tender and takes on great flavor. I think I’m going to try a variation on this tomorrow (I still have more peppers, onions, and tatsoi) possibly with a sweet red chili in addition. Man, I love peppers. Anyway, this was intense, and tasted just like something you’d get from a quick little Chinese take-out joint, but with a) no carb-heavy rice or noodles and b) way more peppers than they would give you. So, yeah.
