You’d think that since I have a food blog that I wouldn’t fall into ruts in my eating. Sadly that’s not the case. In fact, when I come home with a Costco-sized bag of broccoli, it’s pretty much guaranteed that I’ll be making it all Barefoot Contessa-style.
While that Parmesan roasted broccoli is pretty much the cat’s pajamas, variety is the spice of life. And since I seem to be on something of a Chinese food kick lately, I thought I’d try to prepare the broccoli in a way that would complement all of the other Chinese dishes I’ve been making.
In this quick and healthy recipe broccoli gets stir fried with bits of garlic and ginger in a flavorful Asian sauce made from soy sauce and fish sauce until tender crisp. Those looking to add a bit of heat can sprinkle a bit of crushed red pepper on the finished dish.
Asian Broccoli with Garlic and Ginger
Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons oil
1 Tablespoon minced fresh ginger (peeled)
1 Tablespoon minced garlic
approximately 6 cups broccoli florets
3+ Tablespoons water or chicken broth
1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil
1 teaspoon Vietnamese fish sauce
salt
crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
Directions:
Heat the oil over high heat in a large wok or skillet until a small piece of garlic or ginger sizzles when it touches the pan. Add all of the ginger and garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until very aromatic, about 20-30 seconds. Add the broccoli florets and toss to combine. Cook, stirring frequently, for about a minute.
Add the water or chicken broth, sesame oil and fish sauce and cook, stirring occasionally, until the broccoli has some charring and is tender-crisp. If the sauce dries out before the broccoli is done, add additional water or broth in small increments.
Taste and add salt if necessary. Remove to a serving plate and top with crushed red pepper flakes, if desired.