One of my all-time favorite vegetables is Chinese broccoli (also known as gai lan, sometimes spelled kai lan). It not only is really good for you (it's a classic leafy green, high in vitamin A and C), but it is super easy to cook and goes with just about anything. It is also really mild, absorbing the flavors of whatever you cook it in, so it is a good choice for those who are not crazy about greens. (We have this trick with my 5-year-old to get him to eat green vegetables. My daughter tells him, "It will make you really big and strong and it's good for your brain!" When he ate gai lan the other day, he said, "I can feel my brain growing!")

Classic flavors with gai lan are oyster sauce, soy, garlic and ginger. Oyster sauce is great by itself if you do a quick steam, then just pour a bit of oyster sauce over the greens. The water coming off the greens and oyster sauce will create a watery sauce that is really great on rice. My favorite though is a quick stir-fry with garlic, ginger and soy, which is how I prepare it in the recipe below.

Stir-fried gai lan
serves 4

Ingredients
about 200 grams gai lan
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon shredded ginger
2 tablespoons dark soy sauce, mixed with ½ cup water

1. Trim the ends of the stalks of the gai lan. Rinse under cold water.
2. Heat a wok over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon cooking oil and swirl around to coat the pan. Add the gai lan. Fry, stirring, for 1 minute.
3. Add the garlic and ginger and stir until combined (be careful not to burn the garlic). Add the soy mixture. Cover and reduce heat to medium low for 3-4 minutes.
4. Uncover and stir. You might want to check the stalks to make sure they are tender enough. If they are still tough, add a bit more water and cover and cook for another minute or two. Otherwise, taste for saltiness and add a bit more soy if it's not salty enough.
5. Turn out onto a plate and serve immediately.

Labels: recipes, the savory and salty