MummyLoveBlog: My Cooking Journal 21 - Chinese Style Stir Fry Asparagus With Fresh Squid

Thinking of what kind of well-balanced nutritional veggies to prepare for your kids? Try cooking asparagus which is really a wise choice for all ages and great benefits to weight watchers as asparagus is low in sodium, calories and no cholesterol or fat.

Asparagus is well loaded with fiber, folate, vitamin A, B6, C, K, thiamin and minerals such as phosphorous, selenium, potassium, iron, copper, calcium, manganese and magnesium. This herbaceous plant is also well rich in glutathione that act as a body detoxifyier, super antioxident and immune systems booster.

In all, the antioxidents present in asparagus helps protect our body from growth of cancerous cells. The vitamins and minerals contents will help to regulate blood sugar level, lower blood pressure, prevent kidney stones and urinary tract infections, enhance growth of immune cells and red blood cells, strengthen capillary walls, neutralize free radicals, reduce aging process and helps to maintain healthy skins and bones.

It is a leading Folic Acid's supplier among any others vegetables (provide 60% of the recommended daily allowance). As Folic acid is well known for helping your body to produce and maintain new blood cells, preventing cause of cancer and helps our brain to fight against cognitive decline. It is specially important for pregant woman in preventing of neural tube defects.

Buy, Selection and Storage:

Asparagus can be thick or thin and comes in three colours: white, green and purple. Usually green is commonly found in local supermarkets or wet markets. For stir fry purpose, I prefer to choose thick asparagus. Choose those that is straight, firm, uniformly sized spears with closed tips and not dried up. It is best to use it within two or three days of purchase. Otherwise you can wrap it up in paper towels or newspaper and stored in refrigerator for up to 5 days.

If you have wash and cut into pieces and decided not to cook instantly, just pat try and store them in a air-tight container and use within 2 or 3 days for best quality. Storing in the air tight container can still maintain it freshness.

Preparation:

Cut off the tough end of the stem and discard. Wash thoroughly, then use a vegetable peeler to deskin the asparagus stem all the way through the lower part. Do not deskin the top part with "leaves". Cut stalks diagonally of about 2 inches length.

Ingredients:

3 to 4 stalks Asparagus - See above for preparation
1 piece Squid - Wash, remove membrane, vein, eyes and cut into rectangle slices with diagonal pattern on surface. (refer my cooking journal 4 - method no. 1 if you want to find out how to process the squid)
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cloves garlic - skin peel and sliced
3 slices of ginger
1 teaspoon sesame oil - for marinate of squid
1 teaspoon fish sauce - for marinate of squid
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 teaspoon of corn flour - for marinate of squid and sauce thickening
pinch of pepper, salt and sugar - to taste
2 tablespoon water

Methods:

Prepare 1/2 teaspoon of corn flour in a small bowl and add water to make a cornstarch mixture.
Marinate squid in a small bowl with 1 teaspoon of fish sauce, sesame oil, pinch of pepper, sugar and corn flour. Set aside.
Prepare a pot of boiling water (enough to immerse the asparagus). Blanch the asparagus in the boiling water for about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and let it run under the cool tap water (this is to prevent the asparagus for being overcook). Or alternative, plunge them in a bowl of ice water. Once cool, drain and set aside.
Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a wok over medium high. When the oil is hot, toss in ginger and stir fry until fragrant. Then add in slice garlic and continue to stir fry till it turns slightly brown.
Immediately toss in asaparagus under medium heat and give a quick stir until they are all well coated with oil.
Then add in the squid and mix them well. Add 1 tablespoon oyster sauce, pinch of pepper and sugar and stir well until the squid is cooked (eventually the squid will turn white in colour when cooked).
Finally, add two tablespoon of water to make sauce, once boil, drizzle in the cornstarch mixture and stir quickly till the sauce is thicken and toss well to coat.
Dish up and serve.