The leafy greens such as bok choi, senposai or Oriental cabbage are very fast growing. They need to be planted into nice rich soil and given water every day and they will be ready to harvest in weeks. It’s not necessary with these to harvest the whole plant at once and can just have their outer leaves picked off as they are required.

Misome would be my favourite because it can be used in salads as well as stir fries and has a crisp, tasty leaf. It’s a bit like a tatsoi with small, round leaves.

Another Asian green that I think is underrated is mizuna with its jagged long leaves and mild flavour. I love it in salads and sandwiches but also use it as a bed for steaks. The best thing about mizuna is that it will grow for many months and if it starts to look a bit tough, I just cut the stalks off about 10cm from the ground, give it a liquid fertilise and keep the water up to it and new leaves start to shoot back very soon. It looks like a delicate plant but it’s really quite robust.

If you just want to dabble, start with the greens. They can easily be included in the vegie or herb garden or will grow really well in large containers.

Happy gardening!

Kathy

The post Don’t forget the greens! appeared first on The Potted Wok - Asian Vegetables.

Ingredients
200g rice stick noodles
4 x 150g bream fillets
150g baby bok choi, quartered
150g snow peas, sliced thinly lengthways
1 tbsp lemon grass thinly sliced
8 kaffir lime leaves, torn
1 tsp soy sauce
2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
1 tsp fish sauce
2 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp roughly chopped coriander

Method
Preheat oven to hot.
Prepare noodles as per directions on packed.
Divide noodles into 4 equal serves and place on individual pieces of foil. Top noodles with fish, and then equal amounts of bok choi, snow peas, lemon grass and lime leaves. Drizzle with combined sauces and juice. Wrap parcels in foil, and place individually on oven tray.
Cook fish parcels for 15 minutes or until fish is cooked through. Open foil and transfer fish parcels to serving plates.
Sprinkle with coriander.

Tips
Fish parcels can be assembled several hours ahead and stored in fridge.
4.4g fat 1392kJ (333cal)

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Ingredients
1.5kg stewing beef
8 cardomom pods, bruised
1 tsp salt
500mL coconut milk
6 tbs Thai Masaman curry paste
8 small potatoes
10 small onions, peeled
2 tbs fish sauce
3 tbs lime juice
2 ts palm sugar or brown sugar
20 fresh Thai basil leaves
90g whole roasted peanuts

Method
Cut beef in to large cubes and place in a pan with cardomom pods, salt and 1 1/2 cups of coconut milk diluted with equal amount of water. Bring to the boil and simmer covered until the meat is tender.

In a wok heat the remaining coconut milk and stir over medium heat until thick and oily. Add curry pasted and fry gently. Add meat, potatoes, onions, lime juice, fish sauce and sugar. Simmer uncovered until potatoes are cooked, adding stock from meat if required. When almost ready, stir through basil leaves and peanuts and simmer for a few minutes longer.

Tips
Serve with steamed rice.

The post Masman Beef Curry appeared first on The Potted Wok - Asian Vegetables.

Ingredients
100g snow peas, trimmed
400g shredded chicken
320g finesly shredded bok choi or joi choi
4 garlic chives, chopped finely
170g red bunching onions, sliced thinly
1/2cup roughly chopped fresh vietnamese mint
1tsp sambal oelek
1tsp sesame oil
1/3cup lime juice
1/3cup fish sauce
2tsp sugar
1 small thai chilli, finely chopped (optional)
1/2cup loose packed coriander leaves

Method
Place snow peas in medium bowl and cover with boiling water, immediately drain and then cover peas in cold water in same bowl. Let stand 2 minutes, drain and slice thinly.
Combine snow peas in large bowl with chicken, cabbage, chives, onion and mint.
Combine sambal oelek, oil, juice, chilli (optional) and sugar in jar and shake well. Drizzle salad with chilli lime dressing, toss gently to combine then sprinkle coriander over salad.

Tips
8.5g fat 928kJ (222cal)

The post Thai chicken salad – low fat appeared first on The Potted Wok - Asian Vegetables.

Ingredients
400g trimmed rum steak
1 white welsh nebuka onion
1 oriental cucumber
250g red robin tomatoes
1 small thai chilli, seeded & sliced thinly
1/4 cup loose packed thai basil leaves
1/4 cup loose packed coriander leaves
1/4 cup loose packed vietnamese (hot) mint leaves

DRESSING

2 small thai chilli, prepared as above
2 tbsp roughly chopped lemon grass
2/3 cup loose packed coriander leaves
3 cloves garlic roughly chopped
1/3 cup lime juice
1tbsp fish sauce
1tbsp soy sauce
Blend or process ingredients until finely chopped and combined.

Method
Cook beef on heated grill plate that has been oiled, or grill or bbq, until browned both sides. Stand beef, covered for 5 minutes.

Slice onion thinly, Halve unpeeled cucumber lengthways and remove seeds, slice thinly. Halve tomatoes. Combine onion, cucumber, tomato, chilli and herbs in large bowl. slice beef thinly across the grain, add beef and garlic dressing to bowl, toss salad gently to combine.

Tips
10.2g fat 886kJ (212 cal)

The post Thai beef salad – low fat appeared first on The Potted Wok - Asian Vegetables.

Ingredients
1 tablespoon oil
1 tablespoon Red Curry Paste
500gms lean pork strips
1 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup water
350gms Kabocha pumpkin, peeled and cut into small chunks
6 Kaffir lime leaves
1/4 cup coconut cream
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 teaspoon soft brown sugar
2 red chillis, thinly sliced

Method
Heat oil in wok or heavy based pan. Add curry paste and stir 1 minute.
Add pork to wok and stir fry over medium heat until golden. Add coconut milk, water, pumpkin and kaffir lime leaves to wok – reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes or until pork is tender.
Add coconut cream, fish sauce and brown sugar to wok and stir until combined. Scatter diced chilli over the top. Serve with steamed rice and garnish with sprigs of Thai basil, if desired

Tips
Do not overcook pork as it becomes tough.

The post Hot Pork & Pumpkin Curry appeared first on The Potted Wok - Asian Vegetables.

Method

1. Prepare noodles as per instructions on packet.
2. Combine juice, sauces and sugar in small bowl, stir until sugar dissolves.
3. In large bowl, place all remaining ingredients.
4. Add noodles and stir through dressing.

Tips
Rice stick noodles and dried rice noodles are virtually the same thing, however, rice stick noodles are thicker. You can use either in this recipe.

The post Rice Noodle Salad appeared first on The Potted Wok - Asian Vegetables.

Method

1. Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil.
2. Trim Senposai then wash and finely shred. Cook for 1 minute in boiling water, then drain and refresh by dunking in cold water for a few minutes. Drain.
3. Wash bean sprouts.
4. In a large bowl combine lemon grass, lime juice, fish sauce, chilli, garlic and oil.
5. Toss drained Senposai and bean shoots in the dressing and sprinkle with coriander or parsley

The post Thai Cabbage and Bean Sprout Salad appeared first on The Potted Wok - Asian Vegetables.

Method

1. Peel and crush garlic.
2. Chop basil finely. In a medium bowl, mix together garlic, basil, oil and chilli.
3. Halve, seed and wash the capsicum and cut into small squares.
4. Peel and halve onion, cut into small squares.
5. Wash tomatoes and mushrooms.
6. Toss all vegetables with the flavoured oil then put vegetables onto skewers. Refrigerate if not using immediately.
7. Place kebabs on a clean hot barbecue or under grill and cook for about four minutes on each side.  Baste with the flavoured oil as they cook.

The post Vegetable Kebabs appeared first on The Potted Wok - Asian Vegetables.

Method

1. Wash vegetables, halve zucchini and eggplants lengthwise. Score the cut surface of the vegetable halves with a criss-cross pattern using a fork.
2. Cut off mushroom stalks and wipe skins.
3. In a bowl mix lemon thyme, oil and a little pepper and gently toss through the vegetables.
4. Place vegetables on a clean hot barbecue and cook on both sides until soft and easily pierced with a knife.

Tips
Excellent with meat kebabs and rice salad.

The post Barbecued Vegetables appeared first on The Potted Wok - Asian Vegetables.