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Broccoli and Cauliflower with Satay Dipping Sauce

Satay is an Indonesian dish where, typically, foods are skewered and then grilled or broiled. But to me satay is all about the peanut sauce that’s served alongside the skewers. I love peanut sauce! I made a stovetop version with just broccoli and cauliflower accompanied with that amazing peanut dipping sauce, so it would be a really easy meal for one. The sauce would also be great with some baked tofu. –M

Serves 1

⅓ cup creamy peanut butter

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

1 teaspoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon chili paste

1 cup broccoli florets

1 cup cauliflower florets

Place the peanut butter, rice vinegar, soy sauce, and chili paste in a small bowl and stir until combined.

Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil over high heat. Add the broccoli and cauliflower and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until they are still firm but also a bit tender. (Alternatively, if you have a microwave, place the broccoli and cauliflower in a microwave-safe bowl and add a little water. Cover with plastic wrap or wax paper and cook on high heat for 3 to 4 minutes, or until just cooked.) Drain in a colander.

Place the broccoli and cauliflower on a plate and serve with the sauce on the side.

Food for Thought:

Broccoli and cauliflower are part of the family of cruciferous vegetables, along with cabbage, kale, radishes, bok choy, and about thirty others. They are considered to be superfoods—they are completely packed with nutrients, including fiber and cancer-fighting antioxidants and lots of phytochemicals (aka, chemical compounds found in plants that are believed to benefit human health). In even better news, if you cook them right, they taste good, too.

Egg Foo Yong

I am an egg foo yong connoisseur, so I was completely confused when I tried it here in Phoenix. The egg patties were plain and hard and the vegetables were served on top. I found this so disturbing that for the first few months we lived here I tried every Chinese restaurant in a fifteen-mile radius that was listed in the phone book. None of them served the version I was used to, with the vegetables inside. You know what happened next: I came up with this recipe. –M

Serves 1

Gravy

1 vegetable bouillon cube

1 cup water

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon cornstarch

Egg Foo Yong

1 (15-ounce) can mixed Chinese vegetables

2 eggs

1 teaspoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon canola oil

1 cup cooked white rice

To prepare the gravy: Place the bouillon cube and water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Combine the soy sauce and cornstarch, stir until smooth, then stir into the bouillon. Cook over medium-high heat for 5 minutes, or until the mixture comes to a full boil. Turn down the heat very low to keep the sauce warm while you finish the dish.

To prepare the egg foo yong: Drain the vegetables well. Place the eggs and soy sauce in a bowl and beat until thoroughly combined. Stir in the vegetables. Heat the canola oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Pour the egg mixture into the pan, cover, and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.

Scoop the rice onto a plate, top with the egg foo yong, and pour the gravy over the top.

Food Trivia:

Egg foo yong is a kind of omelet—dry, more like an Italian frittata than a French omelet—filled with veggies and sometimes meat, fried in a pan, and served with gravy. Popular wisdom says it was invented by Chinese-American cooks in the 1930s, but actually it does have genuine Chinese origins. In any case, it is a classic Chinese-restaurant dish in the United States.

Chapter 5:

Just Like Mom Makes

Vegetable Pot Pie

Butternut Squash Soup

Vegetable Empanadas

Barbecue Tofu with Onion Rings

Shepherd’s Pie

Cheddar Cheese Soup with Irish Soda Bread

Stuffed Shells

Poached Eggs with Vegetable Hash

Enchiladas

Lentil and Potato Salad

Vegetable Pot Pie

Vegetable Pot Pie

No one can deny the comfort food factor associated