Chinese Vegetable StirFry with EASY Sauce

 For a 20 oz bag of stir-fry vegetables:

Heat 1–2 teaspoons of a neutral oil (canola, avocado, or vegetable oil) in a large skillet.

Add the frozen vegetables straight from the freezer.

Cook over medium-high to high heat, stirring occasionally.

Let the excess water evaporate. This may take 8–10 minutes for a large bag.

Add the sauce.

If using cornstarch, stir it in and cook another minute until the sauce thickens. (1 t. cornstarch & 2T cold water)

Finish with the sesame oil if you didn't add it earlier.

The Sauce:  

• 3 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tsp honey
• 1–2 tsp jarred garlic
• ½ tsp ground ginger (or 1 tsp fresh if you ever have it)
• 1–2 tsp toasted sesame oil (add near the end)

Pickled Vegetables

Thanks to Rachel Cooks with Love

Here's a wonderful, quick (13-minute) video about how "Rachel" makes different types of pickled vegetables with just one easy brine.

The brine recipes fills three one-quart mason jars that are tightly packed.

Onion pickles: 

Dice 3 medium red onions, then cut in half.  Place into a bowl of ice water for about 15 minutes.  This will remove a lot of the strong onion smell, leaving only the taste.  After 15 minutes, drain well.

     Into jar, put two garlic cloves, cut in half. 

     Pack in the onion, keep pushing down

Dill pickles:

Slice cucumbers into slices that aren't too thick, you need a little substance.  She used a sharp slicer that had a crinkly end.

    Into jar, put two garlic cloves, cut in half. 

    Add  a small amount of red pepper flakes, if desired

            1 t. onion flakes.

            2 sprigs dill

    Fill about 1/2 way with cucumbers, pack well

    Add a couple of slices of yellow onions

    Fill almost to top with more cukes, pack down

    A few more onions on top

    One last sprig of dill.

Veggie pickles:

lMix-or-Match

Bite-sized cauliflower.

Lengthwise-sliced or round-diced carrots

Rings of mini bell peppers, or regular sized chunks

Leftover cucumber slices

Yellow onion pieces

Sliced radishes

Celery sticks, chopped celery leaves

     Add 1 t. onion flakes

     Drop in some whole peppercorns

Keep adding cauliflower until all veggies are jammed down into the jar.

Brine for all three quarts:

Deep saucepan on med-high heat.

     3 1/2 c. filtered water

     3 1/2 c. distilled white vinegar

     10 1/2 T. sugar

Bring to boil.

Pour over all veggies, covering completely.

Push down to eliminate any air pockets.

Let cool.

Store in fridge for at least a day before eating.

I've Been Cooking - Oven-Baked Cabbage Slices

Oven-Baked Cabbage Slices (with BACON!!)

1 head cabbage
6 slices of bacon
salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 350.
Line cookie sheet with aluminum foil and give it a quick spray.
Slice the cabbage into 1/2-inch slices and place on the sheet, close together.
Season with salt & pepper.
Top with sliced bacon.
Let it hand out in the oven for about 45 minutes.

Don't precook the bacon.  As it cooks, it releases all its yummy flavor into the cabbage.
This is incredibly delicious.
And, if you don't want to use bacon, I'm sure spraying the top of the cabbage and baking will still make it come out great!

I love cabbage...and I love bacon.

Addendum 1/18/15 Didn't want to buy a whole pound of bacon....so I bought a package of Smoked Turkey kielbasa and placed it on top of the cabbage.....what a great meal!