Monday, January 30, 2012

Meatless Monday: Honey-Soy Sesame Saute





I stole this idea from someone many years ago who was struggling on a very restrictive diet, and who wasn't overly excited by the amount of vegetables they had to eat. As someone who would happily down a bowl of steamed broccoli without a glance at the condiment cupboard, I was intrigued at how they tried to dress up their veg in order to make it palatable. Just about the only condiment they were allowed was balsamic vinegar... I could drink the stuff, but they weren't feeling it.

So part of their strategy was to saute their veg in various substances to give it a bit of extra flavour.

I have taken that idea and ran with it many times over the last few years, and I'm happy to say that although it takes a bit longer than throwing some veg in a steamer in the microwave (guilty), it is truly delicious.

You could use it as a side dish, or add some tofu or beans or faux-meat strips to make a stir-fry. I sometimes just eat it on it's own, but it does benefit from having some protein if you want to stay fuller for longer.

Ingredients:
various chopped green veg - I used bok choy, zucchini, broccoli (including the big green stem - it's amazing!), celery and spinach in this picture
something to break up the green - I used corn, but red capsicum is good, too
1 onion, sliced
2-3 cloves garlic
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon sesame seeds

Directions:

1. Saute onion and garlic gently with the sturdier of your veg - broccoli and zucchini, etc, until onion is soft.

2. Add softer veg and ensure heat is reasonably low. Add sauces and stir, then pop the lid on for 2 minutes or so to make sure the broccoli is cooked through

3. Serve, sprinkled with sesame seeds.


This is also really good with a little stock. And chilli. And sometimes rice vinegar. Options are endless!

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10 comments:

  1. Damn right! I'm wishing I made it last night so I'd have leftovers today :)

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  2. This looks completely tasty and achievable. My favourtie part is the sesame seeds add that bit of 'wow' to it, so it immediately becomes a complete meal rather than a side dish. ...Yes, I'm not the greatest cook...considering sesame seeds to me are 'wow' factors! :)

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  3. Haha I once read sesame seeds are vitamin powerhouses, but forget to use them all the time! I just make sure I buy bread rolls with them on top. They're fun, though and I should totally add them to everything :)

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  4. They are a great source of calicum...looks delish, I'm going to try it!

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  5. I just made this for dinner & it was very very tasty & so simple to make! I forgot how much I love sesame seeds!
    Also stoked to have some for lunch tomorrow too :)

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  6. ANB of Suburban SonnettOctober 2, 2012 at 9:26 PM

    yuuuum, i just had a whole pile of this on top of (wait for the classy bit) a packet of two minute noodles (minus the flavouring) with a side of two grilled field mushrooms.

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