Chinese Take Out Vegetables

The dumb name is intended to evoke a restaurant's broccoli with garlic sauce that, according to my children's rapt faces, appears to come with a side of Tabernacle Choir. Look for the Lee Kum Kee sauce in the ethnic food section of a large supermarket -- without it, you'll be stuck eating Regular Vegetables.

Hands-On Time: 10 minutes
Ready In: 20 minutes
Yield: 4 servings

1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 head broccoli, stems peeled and sliced into coins, crown cut into bite-size florets*
2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped or pressed
1 quarter-size slice of fresh ginger, smashed and finely chopped (optional)
1/2 cup chicken broth or water
1/4 cup Lee Kum Kee vegetarian stir-fry sauce

1. Heat oil in a large pan over high heat until it shimmers.
2. Add vegetables and leave them until they brown, about a minute.
3. Stir, then cook again briefly undisturbed, and repeat until most of the veggies are browned in spots.
4. Add garlic and ginger, stir for a minute or two until very fragrant, then add broth or water, and cook until veggies are as tender as you like, stirring occasionally.
5. Stir in sauce, heat through, and serve (over rice, if you like).

*Ingredient Tips
You could alternatively use 1 pound asparagus, the bottoms sliced off and stalks cut into bite-size pieces, or 1 pound green beans, stem ends snapped.

Nutritional Information
Per Serving (1/2 cup): 150 Calories, 3g Protein, 14g Carbs, 4g Fiber, 5g Sugar, 11g Fat, 1g Saturated Fat, 647mg Sodium, 0mg Cholesterol.

To see more original recipes from Catherine Newman, visit her blog: Dalai Mama Dishes.