Stir-Fry Vegetables and Sprouts With Easy Sweet-And-Sour Sauce

Sugar, lime juice, soy sauce, and sesame oil are common ingredients in many Asian-style sauces, particularly for stir-fries. But these four simple ingredients make a great sweet-and-sour combination all their own.


The quantity of each is small because you want the vegetables to be lightly dressed, not "saucy." A few minutes in the wok with a little peanut oil is all the cooking needed. Toss with sauce and serve up one of the easiest, most nutritious and flavorful side dishes you can bring to the table.


Note: Slicing the vegetables very thinly ensures fast, even cooking in very little time. Give the Brussels sprouts a head start, then throw everything else in together.


Serves 4


Ingredients

juice of 1/2 a lime
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp white sugar
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
1 tbsp peanut oil
4 large Brussels sprouts, very thinly sliced (some pieces will shred - that's fine)
2 stalks baby bok choy, very thinly sliced crosswise (stalks and leaves)
2 oz snow peas, very thinly sliced on the diagonal
1-1/2 cups mung bean sprouts
1/2 small red bell pepper, very thinly sliced
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper



Preparation

Combine the lime juice, soy sauce, sugar, and sesame oil in a small bowl, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Set aside. (Make the sauce before you begin preparing the vegetables to give the flavors a little time to develop.)
Heat a wok (or large, deep skillet) over medium-high heat and add the peanut oil. When the oil is hot, add the Brussels sprouts and stir-fry 2 minutes.
Add the bok choy, snow peas, bean sprouts, and bell pepper and season with salt and pepper. Stir-fry 2 minutes.
Pour the sauce over the vegetables and toss well to coat. Stir-fry 1 minute.



To serve, divide the vegetables among 4 individual serving bowls or on 4 plates next to the entrée.