A vegetable stir-fry doesn’t have to be Asian influenced. You can go in other directions and with other culinary traditions while keeping the speed and fresh veggie flavors that a stir-fry offers. I like this combination of veggies because it reminds me of the type of stir-fries I prepare with garden produce in the summer and fall. I was in the mood for course-ground mustard, however, so this is what I used as the main seasoning.
This stir-fry is a perfect side dish for meats. I served it with spicy chicken sausage. If you’re a vegetarian you could add tofu or tempeh and serve it as a main dish with rice or potatoes. You only want to cook this until the squash is barely soft and the pak choi still has some crunch to it.
This recipe takes 30 minutes to prepare from start to finish and serves 4 to 6 as a side dish, or 2 as an entrée.
Ingredients
Baby Pak Choi (aka Bok Choi – I used about six)
Summer Squash (“Baby squash” are really flavorful, especially if they have just been picked from your garden. At this time of year I had to purchase these in the supermarket. I bought a package of
2 Leeks – use the white part. In the summer you could use any onions that you have in your garden.
1 Lemon
Course ground mustard
Red Pepper Flakes
Olive oil
Salt and Pepper to taste
If you don’t like mustard you can use another seasoning. Garlic and fresh basil, for example.
Wash veggies. Slice the leeks into thin rounds and the baby squash into sticks. Cut the ends off the baby Pak Choi. Heat about a tablespoon of oil in the pan and sauté in the following order.
Prep all the ingredients before starting to cook so that nothing gets overdone.
Add leeks to hot oil and cook until they begin to brown. Add red pepper flakes. I used a 2 teaspoons because we like things spicy.
Add the squash and sir frequently over medium heat for about four or five minutes.
Add pak choi and turn heat down to low. Cover the pan with a lid and cook for 2 minutes until green on pak choi is wilted.
Uncover and bring heat up to medium again. Squeeze the lemon over veggies catching seeds in a strainer. Stir well.
Add mustard. I used a heaping tablespoon.
Empty into a serving bowl and eat immediately! You can top with Parmesan cheese if you wish, or add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.
Stir frying is a fast way to prepare fresh veggies that keeps the crunch and separate flavors in your food. All stir-fry dishes don’t have to have soy sauce or other traditional Asian flavors…pair your seasonings to other components of the meal.
