stir fries, sautees and other light summer meals

i admit, i haven't been spending all that much time in the kitchen ... its summer after all, time to enjoy the great outdoors, not linger inside.  but summer is also the time to eat up all the wonderful fresh produce! my local farmers' market has been a goldmine for beautiful fruits and veggies and i've religiously gone every saturday to take in the sights, smells and tastes of seasonal offerings.  once home, i'd mostly opt for big fresh salads or quick stir-fries - to preserve the nutrients, flavour and to save some time.  among my favourites this summer have been broccolini, garlic greens, tiny summer zucchinis, beet greens, and black kale.  just chopping the veggies and sauteing, or stir-frying them with a little olive oil, lemon or white wine, provencal herbs or fresh basil was enough to make for a very fresh, very healthy and very satisfying lunch or light dinner.  just take a look at the vibrant colours and get inspired!

dissertation cabbage

i admit, this is a truly strange title for a blog entry... almost as if i was trying to scare my readers (the few that there are) away.  but don't fear! this post will not have anything to do with the subject of my dissertation.  it does, however, have something to do with the process of writing it...

a couple of days ago, someone commented on my panzanella post (on facebook) by suggesting that it must take a lot of time to prepare my food.  in reply, i assured this person that most food i prepare is not very labour intensive.  admitedly, i have no idea why i was feeling a bit defensive about taking more time than necessary out of my very busy dissertation writing schedule to make nutritious meals... first, i don't take more time than necessary (or do i?); second, i happen to think that all this nutritious food will fuel my writing, right?

well, i admit, i did feel a bit defensive nonetheless, so i decided to show my readers, that good, tasty food, really does not have to take a lot of time.  hence, this dish.  its hardly a recipe and it involves cabbage which may scare some people off.  but i happen to think cabbage is fantastic and i am sure that you will like it too!  but the main point here, is that this meal takes NO TIME to make.  it took 10 minutes to prepare! now, that is NOT a lot of time to procrastinate, is it? hence, it is the first of my "dissertation meals" series:  good brain fuel that takes no time from your writing! of course, to make this a more filling MEAL, you'd have to serve it on some rice or quinoa, which would add a bit of time to the preparation unless you have made some ahead of time.  but if you just want a to quick, light lunch or dinner, you are 10 minutes away from some really yummy cabbage stir fry!

"dissertation cabbage"

(red cabbage fennel stir fry, with mint lemon "pesto" and tamari)

1 small head of cabbage
1/2 head of fennel
1 red onion
4 cloves garlic
splash of tamari sauce
1/2 cup of mint lemon pesto
1T olive oil or sesame oil

mint lemon pesto
1 bunch of mint
juice of 1 lemon
splash of rice vinegar
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup almonds
process all these ingredients in a food processor or a blender.  here is your mint lemon pesto.

for the stir fry: cut the cabbage and the fennel into bite size, longish pieces.  slice the onion. mince the garlic.  heat 1T olive oil in a wok or a deep frying pan.  saute the onions and garlic for about 1 minute.  add the cabbage and fennel and stir fry for 5 minutes.  add the tamari, stir for another minute.  add 1/2 cup of the mint lemon pesto, stir, serve, eat.  NOW, get back to whatever you were doing!

brilliant veggies

this veggie stir fry over thai black rice turned out so well! the black rice adds a nice nutty note and makes a nice backdrop for a colourful medley of vegetables. i used snow peas, yellow and red bell peppers, shitake mushrooms, baby bok-choy and diced tofu, but any of your favourite veggies would do. the key here is to have some brilliant colours!

first, i sauteed the tofu separately using this speedy flavour infusing technique that i learned from anna, my friend eun-mi's sister. you basically sear the tofu first, using just a little sesame oil, and then when it is golden on both sides, you splash a little tamari, stir around and let absorb. i then stir fried all the veggies - starting with the mushrooms - in a little sesame oil and again, splashed a little tamari once they were getting done (about 5-7mins). to add more flavour, i made this sauce/dressing inspired by the fresh cookbook recipe for the "new buddha sauce": (1 inch ginger, 3 cloves garlic, 1T olive oil, 1t sesame oil, 1/4 c water, 1/4 rice vinegar, 1/2 (or one small) grated carrot, 1T almond butter, 1t curry powder, pinch of cayenne, and a little agave nectar - bled until smooth). done!

to assemble to all - place some black rice in the middle of the plate, drizzle a little sauce; place your veggies on top, drizzle with sauce and garnish with chopped cilantro and green onions. i didn't use them here (because i didn't have any), but some cashews, peanuts or black sesame seeds would be a nice garnish as well. yum!