Tatsoi and Cabbage Stir Fry

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This is a versatile stir fry that you can make with any vegetables.  I add in broccoli, zucchini and red peppers when we have them.  The carrots replace the red peppers in the winter and spring adding the sweet counterpart to the whole flavour of the stir fry.  Tatsoi is a delicate green.  I chop the stems into pieces and add them with the cabbage. But the tops, I leave whole and add right before serving so that they are only slightly braised.  I have included chicken in the recipe. This can be omitted. Ingredients olive oil 750 g chicken thigh fillets, cut into strips 2 egg whites, lightly beaten ½ cup cornflour 3 cloves garlic, chopped or put through a press 2 onions, thinly sliced or 1 large leek or a bunch of green onions 4 medium sized carrots and/or 1 red sweet capsicum, cut into match sticks 2 heads of Tatsoi, remove tops and set aside, dice stems into 1 cm pieces 1/2 head of cabbage, cored and thinly sliced 2 tbsp soy sauce 2 tbsp sherry 1 tbsp oyster sauce 2 tbsp sesame seeds

 

Method 1. Heat the wok until very hot, add 1 tbsp of the oil and swirl to coat the side. Dip a quarter of the chicken strips into the egg white and then into the cornflour. Add to the wok and stir-fry for 3-5 minutes or until the chicken is golden brown and just cooked. Drain on paper towels and repeat with the remaining chicken, reheating the wok and adding a little more oil each time. 2. Reheat the wok, add 1 tbsp of the oil and stir-fry the onion, carrot and/or capsicum and garlic over medium heat for 4-5 minutes, or until the vegetables are softened slightly. If using green onions, wait and add with the cabbage.  Add cabbage and tatsoi stems, continuing to stir. Increase the heat to high and add the soy sauce, sherry and oyster sauce. Toss the vegetables well. If you like more sauce, just add soy, sherry and oyster sauce (double the amount of soy and sherry to the amount of oyster sauce). 3. Return the chicken to the wok and toss over high heat for 1-2 minutes to heat the chicken and make sure it is entirely cooked through. Add sesame seeds. Toss the Tatsoi leaves through the chicken mixture, and serve immediately over rice or udon noodles.

Mango Salsa

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This is a great seasonal salsa, perfect on its own with chips but also wonderful with fish and chicken!  Even though mangoes are not a local fruit, they are so delicious and so abundant in December when the spring coriander is just ready to bolt, we enjoy their season. With chicken, we make chicken cutlets, bread them and lightly fry them in olive oil.  I then put them into a baking dish, cover about 1/4 inch with white wine, and layer the mango salsa over the top.  bake in a 180 for about 25 minutes (until the chicken is cooked through) and then turn up the heat to 230 for about five minutes to caramelize the salsa.

Ingredients 2 mangoes bunch of coriander juice of one lime 1 or 2 cloves of garlic 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 1 or 2 chillies salt Optional Green onions Chives

Method 1. Dice the chillies leaving the seeds if you like your salsa hot.  Mash the garlic with a press.  Put chillies and garlic into the salsa bowl with the lime juice, olive oil and salt. 2.  Cut the cheeks off the mangoes.  Remove skin and cut into 2 cm chunks.  Cut the remainder of the mango flesh from the pit.  Combine with the chillies. 3. Roughly chop coriander.  Combine with other ingredients and taste to correct seasoning.  You can add chives and or green onions depending on your personal preference.