Thai basil vegetables

Food.com (formerly Recipezaar) has become a goldmine of amazing recipes for me - the fussiest home cook on the planet. Even if everyone at the table is raving about a dish I'm still all "well it could do with some more garlic", "it's nice, but it's not great" and "wow. what was I thinking?"... in other words, Captain Critical.

But that's because I love food, and I love food that has amazing flavour. I'm not about mediocre or "delicate". I want something that punches me in the face and pops up cheerily saying "HA! weren't expecting that now, were you?"

And that's what I find on Food.com. I've never (repeat, never) been let down by any recipe I've ever tried. And that is precisely where I found this little darling.

It is full of flavour, and full of veggies - two of my favourite things. Oh and coriander. Which I adore, but if you hate it (it seems to be quite polarising) you can very well do without. In fact, I forgot it last night, along with the basil, but remembered after a few bites, and it was just as delicious without. Baby brain... my go-to excuse for everything.

Ingredients: 

• 2 medium zucchini, sliced
• 2 cups chopped mushrooms
• 1/2 cup slivered carrot
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1/4 cup chopped coriander
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1/2 lime, juiced (if using lemon, add another spoonful of sugar... brown is nice)
• 1/2 tablespoon minced ginger
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon sambal oelek chili paste (to taste)
• 1 tablespoon cornflour 
• 1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 
  

Method: 

1. In a small bowl, combine soy sauce, lime juice, ginger, garlic, sugar, sambal and cornflour.

2. Heat oil in large pan over high heat. Add veggies (feel free to add whatever you like, broccoli and capsicum are good choices. Mine changes every time I make it.) Stir fry for 3 minutes.

3. Turn heat way, way down. The lowest of the low. Add your sauce and a splash of water if it's looking to be too thick.

4. Cook until veggies are crisp-tender (I find broccoli takes longer, so add accordingly).

5. Stir in herbs and serve with rice or noodles.

Recipe vegetarianised and adapted from here.

Chilli Thai Stir Fry

Don't you love it when you go to make a dinner and you're missing a vital ingredient?

Some of my most memorable meals come from me making do after finding my pantry lacking in necessary items.

Hence, instead of making a honey-soy sauce for my stir fry last night, I ended up making some kind of chilli Thai concoction... and it was glorious.

Observe:

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Ketjap Manis (sweet soy sauce)
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
pinch salt
1 teaspoon cornflour mixed with 1 teaspoon water
1 chilli, finely sliced
juice of one lime
handful coriander, chopped

Mix all in a bowl.

Easy peasy! You can add garlic, but I stir fried my vegetables in it and that was enough... in fact, I recommend that, it adds such a depth of flavour to the veggies. Delicious :)