This simple (you might even say basic) dish is not only deliciously traditional in flavor, it is ready to serve in under 30 minutes, and its healthy as well. Thats three out of three in my book.
Ingredients:
24 fresh asparagus stalks (firm, no wilting allowed)
5 carrots (hard, no bending)
1/4 cup of water
1 tablespoon of finely grated fresh ginger
1 tablespoon of reduced sodium soy sauce
11/2 teaspoons of sesame oil (the dark kind, if you have it)
1 tablespoon of toasted sesame seeds
Serves: 3
Total Preparation Time: 25 minutes
Tip: Once you get this recipe under way, with you know - the cooking bits, there is not a lot of time to sit around and contemplate why we’re all here, or where ear wax comes from, much less chopping things up, and scurrying around in the pantry looking for that bottle of soy you are sure you bought the other day. Have things prepared and ready to dump into the wok when needed. Trust me, its a lot less stressful, and a happy chef makes happy food.
The Eight Step Program:
1. Slice the carrots 1/4 inch thick on a horizontal angle, exposing a large area of interior of the carrot on both sides of the slice. This will allow the heat, sauce, and oils to work on them which provides us with a light caramelization of their natural sugars.
| Carrots are a source of vitamins A, K, C, dietary fiber, potassium, B6, manganese, molybdenum, B1, B3, phosphorus, magnesium and folate. |
| Asparagus is a source of vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, B6, C, K, copper, iron, manganese, phosphorus, zinc and folate. |
4. When the pan is hot (test with a single drop of water, not any part of your body), bring the temperature down to just barely high, and add the carrots immediately.
5. Stir-fry the carrots for 4 minutes. Keep the carrots on the move and don’t be afraid to lift the wok off the heat and shake the carrots around for a little while to give them a breather if the heat is being a little aggressive (Bonus: anyone watching you will think you’ve got some real wok flare if you do this occasionally anyway).


8. Add the soy sauce, sesame oil and sesame seeds. Stir-fry all of the ingredients so that the carrots and asparagus as well coated, then serve.


Do you think the recipe could be used on other vegetables? The asparagus is good, but carrots are kinda high in carbs. Any suggestions?
Onions or red bell peppers are really good with asparagus. The onions are higher, but the peppers are prettier and lower. Glad you are feeling well enough to return to cooking.
Kelly:The suggestion from Mom about the bell peppers seems like they would work well - how would they go with your carb counts?
Mom: I figured it was a good way to get up off the futon and get some vitamins into me. It was pretty tasty as well, so I was rewarded for my efforts.
It sounds pretty good, and is low enough in carbs. Im just not sure I like bell pepper enough to make it the main ingredient in my dinner. Any other suggestions?
The problem is with the asparagus, which has such a unique flavor it’s hard to think of anything that won’t clash. I wonder if julienned butternut squash would be good. Or maybe yellow crookneck. I like pretty color combinations, too. Seems like cauliflower would have the wrong flavor, but maybe the yellow kind of cauliflower (hybrid) would work since it has a much milder flavor. What do you think, Scott?
You must be logged in to post a comment.