Steamed Vegetable Combo

Developed February, 2020, the method quickly produces a side dish in a savory Asian-style sauce. Vegan or not.

8 oz assorted tender raw vegetables, cut into serving size pieces
1 t soy sauce
1 t roasted sesame oil
1/4 t fish sauce (omit for vegan)
1 t chicken or vegetable stock concentrate 
4 T water
1 t corn or tapioca starch

Pile the vegetables into a shallow bowl. For example, bok choy, spinach; bean sprouts, green onions, shallots, snow peas, sweet peppers, sweet onions, summer squash, enoki mushrooms, and the like work well. Drizzle on the seasonings and sprinkle on the starch. Place into an "improvised steamer". After four minutes of active steaming, cautiously lift the lid and, with tongs, toss the vegetables to coat with sauce. Cover and steam another four minutes. Remove from steamer, toss again, and serve. Serves two.

Blackened Baby Bok Choy

This easy, quick side dish for many rich main courses uses immature Asian cabbages. It's quick, tasty, and complex in flavor.

4 heads baby bok choy
2 t vegetable oil 

Seasonings

1 t dark sesame oil
2 t dark soy sauce
1 t mushroom soy
1 t rice wine
1 T water

Cut heads lengthwise, rinse, and dry. Heat vegetable oil in a stainless-steel skillet on medium high until it shimmers. Place cabbages cut side down, and cook 3 to 4 minutes until well colored. Turn over, add seasonings and water, cover, and steam a few minutes until tender.

Stir-fried Vegetables, Hong Kong Egg Noodles, and Fish Cake

Egg Noodles, Mixed Vegetables, and Fish Cake

Recorded January 28, 2011. Prepared several times beforehand.

2 c baby bok choy, rinsed, dried, and angle cut
2 c napa, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 c broccoli crowns, sliced, blanched, and refreshed
1 medium yellow onion, thinly cut through the poles
2 c bean sprouts
1 c sliced mushrooms
1 T minced garlic
1 can bamboo shoots, strips, rinsed well, and drained
1/4 c canola oil, divided
14 oz pkg Hong Kong-style dry egg noodles
3/4 lb prepared breaded fish cake squares (5 or 6 cakes)
2 T soy sauce
1 T dark sesame oil
1/2 T fish sauce
2 T oyster sauce
about 1 c chicken stock
1/4 c julienned green onions (optional)

Fish Cake
Heat 1 T of oil sizzling hot in a large wok. Add the fish cakes, and crisp, with frequent turning, about 1 minute, taking care not to burn. Remove to a plate to cool. Cut into slices.
Noodles
Add the noodles to salted boiling water (about 3 qts) in a large sauce pan. Boil gently for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. When just tender, drain in a colander, and cool with cold water. Drain well and mix in 2 T oil and 1 T soy sauce. Add 2 T oil to the wok, and heat to smoking. Add noodles, fry on one side a few minutes. When golden, turn. Continue until the batch of noodles is nicely browned and crisped. Set aside in a large bowl and cover to keep warm.
Vegetables in Sauce
Stir fry the bok choy, napa, onions, mushrooms, bamboo shoots, bean sprouts, and garlic until crispy tender. Add the seasonings and stock.
Finished Dish
Bring vegetables to a boil, fold in the noodles, and heat through. Serve in a large bowl, arranging the fish cake slices on top. Garnish with the green onions. Serves 6.