In these troubled times, we've been asked to stay in. So I thought I'd invite some friends to share a meal (and stay in too) with me.
I have TONS of free-range frozen meat from ButcherBox ... a super service that delivers right to your door. Among them were boneless pork chops ... so I decided to do Chinese-inspired ones (recipe coming soon).
Along with them ... my favorite soooo easy fried rice (also coming). And I found this recipe at The Omnivore's Cookbook, a Chinese-inspired website.
Now I've done braised cucumbers in French cooking class before. But never seen them in a Chinese dish. I was intrigued.
I was lucky to grab the very last package of white corn (no yellow in sight and most shelves were bare). I guess the scores of hoarders weren't looking for fresh produce.
I waited on line for an hour before a wonderful clerk self-checked me out (bless her!) Still looking for purified or distilled water though. But I digress ... back to the dish ...
This came together easily and was absolutely a pairing revelation! Chinese recipe tip ... have everything chopped and prepped to add to the pan quickly ... even the slurry (I used cornstarch ... a more traditional choice).
So I'm now sharing it with you. Eat it up ... FOR REAL!
FYI ... this recipe serves only two ... I tripled it ... and had lots left for great lunches and dinners ...
AuthorJill PlaceThis Chinese-inspired dish is a pairing revelation of corn, carrots, and braised cucumbers. Laced with pine nuts and a light thickening of cornstarch and broth, it's a great ... and fast ... addition to any meal!
Prep and chop veggies.
Whisk potato starch or cornstarch into chicken stock. Set aside.
Cook pine nuts to a skillet and heat over medium heat. Stir the pine nuts frequently (or shake the pan). When the pine nuts start to turn golden brown, turn to medium low heat. Cook and stir for another minute, until the pine nuts turn light brown. Transfer to a plate to cool.
Add oil to the same skillet and turn to medium high heat. Add green onion and stir a few times. Add carrot and corn. Stir and cook until the corn is thawed and the carrot starts to turn tender. If the skillet gets too hot, turn to medium or medium low heat. Add cucumber. Season with salt and sugar. Stir and cook another minute until the cucumber is cooked.
Turn off the heat. Whisk the slurry again and swirl it into the skillet. Stir to mix well.
Taste the dish and add a bit more salt if necessary. Add toasted pine nuts and stir to mix well. Serve immediately.
If you are using frozen peas instead of the cucumber, add the peas with frozen corn. They take longer to cook than the cucumber.
Add the chicken stock slurry at the end to make the dish more like what you'd get in a Chinese restaurant. If you'd like to make this vegetarian, replace the stock with water. You can skip the slurry entirely, but the dish will be slightly dry.
Ingredients
Directions
Prep and chop veggies.
Whisk potato starch or cornstarch into chicken stock. Set aside.
Cook pine nuts to a skillet and heat over medium heat. Stir the pine nuts frequently (or shake the pan). When the pine nuts start to turn golden brown, turn to medium low heat. Cook and stir for another minute, until the pine nuts turn light brown. Transfer to a plate to cool.
Add oil to the same skillet and turn to medium high heat. Add green onion and stir a few times. Add carrot and corn. Stir and cook until the corn is thawed and the carrot starts to turn tender. If the skillet gets too hot, turn to medium or medium low heat. Add cucumber. Season with salt and sugar. Stir and cook another minute until the cucumber is cooked.
Turn off the heat. Whisk the slurry again and swirl it into the skillet. Stir to mix well.
Taste the dish and add a bit more salt if necessary. Add toasted pine nuts and stir to mix well. Serve immediately.
If you are using frozen peas instead of the cucumber, add the peas with frozen corn. They take longer to cook than the cucumber.
Add the chicken stock slurry at the end to make the dish more like what you'd get in a Chinese restaurant. If you'd like to make this vegetarian, replace the stock with water. You can skip the slurry entirely, but the dish will be slightly dry.
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