Asian Greens Food

ASIAN GREENS

Steps:

• Whisk the oil and oyster sauce with 1 tbsp water in a saucepan. Cook for 2-3 mins until glossy, then set aside.
• Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Add the greens, turn down the heat and cook for 2 mins, or until just wilted, then drain.
• To serve: cut any large bulbs in half and put on a plate. Drizzle the sauce over and serve immediately.

STEAMED ASIAN GREENS WITH HONEY SOY SESAME DRESSING

Steps:

• Pour about 1-inch of water into a wok and bring it to a boil over high heat. Put the greens into a bamboo steamer and cover. Put the steamer into the wok and steam the vegetables for about 5 minutes or until they are just tender. Meanwhile make the dressing by combining the soy sauce, vinegar, honey, oil, and 1 teaspoon sesame seeds in a small bowl. Put the cooked greens onto a serving platter, drizzle the dressing over them, and toss well to coat. Garnish with sesame seeds and serve immediately.

UDON WITH TOFU AND ASIAN GREENS

Steps:

• Cook the udon noodles as the label directs. (Don't overcook or they will get mushy.) Drain, reserving about 1/3 cup of the cooking water.
• Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Pat the tofu dry and season all over with salt and pepper. Add the tofu to the skillet and sear until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Set aside and keep warm.
• Add 1 tablespoon oil and the greens to the skillet. Cook, tossing, until just wilted. Add the scallions, red pepper flakes, the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, the soy sauce and sugar. Add the reserved cooking water; heat to create a broth. Divide the noodles and greens among 4 bowls and top with the tofu.

CHINESE BEEF AND GREENS

Steps:

• Stir together cornflour, soya, chili and stock.
• Marinate meat in this. Time not important--anything from 15 minutes to overnight if desired.
• Fry 1 chopped onion in a little oil until soft.
• Add spring greens rolled together and chopped into ribbons (bok choy could easily be used). (Ingredient list would not accept spring greens--must be a UK veggie).
• Stir until soft.
• Add meat and stock marinade.
• Simmer until meat is cooked and the sauce is glossy and thickened.
• A little water may be used to thin out stock if desired.
• Any meat or veggie can be used to create your own version of this easy recipe.

ASIAN-STYLE GREEN BEANS

Steps:

• Cook green beans in boiling water 4 to 6 minutes or until crisp-tender; drain. Plunge into ice water to stop the cooking process; drain.
• Sauté green onions, garlic, and ginger in hot sesame oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat 1 minute. Add green beans and bell pepper; cook 1 minute. Add oyster sauce and pepper, stirring until thoroughly heated. Sprinkle with almonds, if desired.

STIR-FRIED ASIAN GREENS WITH CHILES AND GARLIC

Steps:

• 1. Carefully inspect the greens, discarding or trimming off any spoiled stems or leaves. Trim the bottom ends off and discard. Wash the greens in several changes of the coldest possible water; tepid water might cause them to wilt, and you want them to stay as alert and perky as possible before being cooked. (Note: Because bok choi and baby bok choi tend to have pockets full of sand in the nooks where the leaves meet the center stem, be certain to pull the leaves back slightly away from the stem when you're cleaning them. There are few things worse than a mouthful of sand when you want a mouthful of greens.)
• 2. Cut the cleaned greens into pieces 2-1/2 to 3 inches long. If any of the stems are particularly wide - say, more than 1 inch - or are tough or sinewy-looking, cut them in half lengthwise. If you're using baby bok choi or baby Shanghai choi, you can either leave the heads whole or cut them in half lengthwise - it's up to you. Spin the greens dry in a salad dryer or set them aside to air-dry on a kitchen towel or paper towels; they needn't be bone dry - a little dampness won't matter.
• 3. In a wok, 12-inch skillet, Dutch oven, or soup pot (any pot large and wide enough to comfortably hold the greens will do), heat the oil over medium-high heat. When it's hot but not smoking - it should appear shimmery - add the garlic, the salt, and, if using, the chiles. Sauté, stirring until the garlic just begins to lose its rawness, about 1 minute. (Try not to let the garlic turn golden or golden brown, which would give this dish an inappropriate roasted taste.)
• 4. Add the greens. Raise the heat slightly and immediately begin to vigorously stir-fry the greens around the pot. Continue to vigorously stir-fry the greens until they just begin to go limp but the leaves remain a spring-green color and the stems are still crunchy-crisp, 3 to 4 minutes, depending on the type of greens. Taste for salt, adding only a pinch more if necessary (a little salt goes a long way with greens).
• 5. Transfer the cooked greens to a large serving platter and serve promptly. Be careful not to pile the greens in a small bowl; since the greens will continue to cook for a minute or two after they're removed from the heat, a serving bowl that crowds them may cause them to overcook and become mushy.