Stir Crazee!!

Tomorrow's the official first day of summer!  Some of our gardens are starting to spew forth it's bounty and a lot of it!!  Aside from canning , freezing and sharing with friends and family we may find ourselves with extra further still.  Enter the stir-fry. This and sauteing is the next best way to avoid steamed veggie overkill 'when the harvest get tough and we get fed up'.  There are hundreds maybe thousands of different combinations to be made and the cooking time won't diminish it's nutritional stores by much if any.  Actually, some vegetables' vitamins and minerals are more readily absorbed by heating, like tomatoes.  Asian flavors make vegetables flattering in every way.  With just a few key ingredients, you can turn your garden's veggies VIVACIOUS and uber delicious in no time. Some simple sauces and oils can provide 'the best taste in the world', as confessed by my sister Gayle.  She loves the taste of my recipes with these implements, especially the one's that are meatless.  Being raised in the south, that speaks volumes to me!  Anywho, back to stir-fries.  You don't need very much oil at all, maybe 1 1/2

tsp. or less per lb. and a very hot saute pan or wok.  Constant agitation is the key.  Chop and  slice your veggies into equal sizes to ensure even cooking.  Fish sauce, oyster sauce, brown sugar, green onions, lots of garlic, hoisin sauce, sesame oil, and sambal oelek are  responsible for that flavor we crave and look to Chinese Takeout to provide.  Not all ingredients have to be used at once, but you definitely include sweet, salty and savory in whatever combination you choose.  The onion and garlic and sugar should be constants, but you can mix and match the other ingredients to suit your taste.  I like it hot so sambal oelek will always be in my combinations.  The key to finding your heat index is by adding a little at a time.  Sambal oelek has a bold heat that is realized after it's been chewed, so be easy is you're leery.  The possibilities are endless and your body will thank you for the benefits so, let's get shakin', with some stirfry makin'!!  I have a photo of of one of my stir frys made with fresh broccoli from my sister Gayle's garden, and a few other veggies I had hangin around.  To save time and money, I crumbled in some Steakum sheets to make it a full form beef and broccoli stir fry.  To shave off fat and calories, simply drain the fat before adding the sauce combo of your choice.