General Tao's Red Pepper and Broccoli Stirfry

Tonight I was busy working on homework (if you can call it that), with my friend Paul. My assignment was to shoot a photo that must include "red string" and uses the string to convey meaning. Take in any direction we like.  We had fun exploring this theme.

Paul... being a good sport...

Anyhoooo, I thought I might share with you one of the many ways of making a meal using spaghetti noodles, beyond adding a tomato or meat sauce. Noodles are always cheap, even when they are not on sale. Another time I will try and make this sauce from scratch, but for now I used sauce that I found in the dollar store.  I have absolutely no qualms about shopping at the dollar store, although I wish we had the kind of selection that I read about on the 99 cent Chef's site.

General Tao's Red Pepper and Broccoli

Ingredients
Serves one tired and hungry photography student

2 tsp oil
1/2 red onion, sliced
1 cup broccoli, sliced into small florets
1/2 red pepper, sliced into skinny strips
2 T sesame seeds, toasted
2 T VH General Tao's sauce
1 small squirt hot sauce
1 tsp black pepper
2 cups spaghetti noodles, cooked
1 spring onion, sliced

Instructions

Toast the sesame seeds on the stove top, shaking and flipping. Should take no more than 2 to 3 minutes.

Cook spaghetti noodles in salted water as usual (or reheat leftover spaghetti in the microwave, as I did).

In a large frying pan or wok, stir fry the onion, broccoli and red pepper, on high heat.  If you eat meat, stir fry your chicken or beef strips separately, until no longer pink.  Remove from pan, then carry on with veggie instructions. After about 4 minutes of mad tossing, add 1/4 cup of water and plop the lid on to allow for a little steaming (maybe another 2 minutes).  Remove from heat when veggies still have some crunch.

Stir in General Tao's sauce, hot sauce, black pepper, and cooked (or reheated) noodles.  Toss madly.  Garnish with sesame seeds and spring onion.  Enjoy!

Photo by D. Sharon Pruitt, Flickr

Sweet Potato, Corn and Black Bean Hash

We're cooking with "black" ingredients today and tomorrow, to celebrate "Black Thursday" and "Black Friday" in a non-shopping, non-stressed out way.  This recipe is great for those nights that you come home tired and hungry. It's also good for brunch, lunch, and reheats just beautifully the next day.

Sweet Potato, Corn and Black Bean Hash
Adapted from Eating Well

INGREDIENTS
2 teaspoons veggie oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeño pepper, or other hot pepper, seeded and minced
4 teaspoons ground cumin (to taste)
sprinkle of hot pepper flakes (to taste)
3/4 cup veggie stock
3/4 cup frozen corn kernels
1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 lime, cut into wedges
1 avocado
4 T sour cream
4 T salsa


INSTRUCTIONS
1.  Heat oil in a large cast-iron skillet, or frying pan, over medium-high heat.
2.  Add onions and sauté until browned in spots, 3 to 5 minutes.
3.  While onions are sautéing, microwave the diced sweet potato for 4 minutes, to give it a head start.
4.  Add sweet potato and cook, stirring, until it starts to brown in spots, 5 to 7 minutes.
5.  Stir in garlic, jalapeño, cumin and salt; sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
6.  Add stock and cook, scraping up any browned bits, until liquid is absorbed, 3 to 5 minutes.
7.  Stir in corn and black beans and cook until heated through.
8.  Stir in cilantro and season with salt and pepper.
9.  Serve with lime wedges, slices of avocado, sour cream and salsa.
10. Gobble up!

Image by D. Sharon Pruit, Flickr