Zucchini Stir Fry for #eattheworld

Welcome to our April 2020 post for the Eat the World project, led by Evelyne of CulturEatz. Click here to find out how to join and have fun exploring a country a month in the kitchen with us!

For this month's assignment, we were given the country of China to cook from! This was a fabulous challenge because the options are endless and my family LOVES anything with an Asian flavor profile. I have cooked many iterations of stir fry, sweet and sour, and fried rice over the years.

I happened to have some zucchini in the refrigerator that I didn't have plans for so that directed my decision making. This super simple, vegetarian stir fry dish is a fabulous way to enjoy your vegetables with the flavor of ginger, garlic, and soy. If you want a little sweetness you could add a touch of sugar, but I don't usually add any sweetness to my stir fry dishes. The zucchini cooks up crisp tender and is hearty enough that you don't miss the protein - though some diced cooked chicken or shrimp would be fabulous with this dish as well!

See all of our Chinese dishes for today!

Culinary Adventures with Camilla: Scallion Pancakes 

Pandemonium Noshery: See Ji Tan - Chinese Lion’s Head Meatballs 

Amy’s Cooking Adventures: Homemade Fortune Cookies 

CulturEatz: Easy Spicy Vegan Mapo Tofu 

Magical Ingredients: Biang Biang Noodles 

Kitchen Frau: Kung Pao Chicken 

Sneha’s Recipe: Quick Pork Fried Rice 

Making Miracles Zucchini Stir Fry 

Sugarlovespices: Authentic Sichuan Mapo Tofu Recipe 

A Day in the Life on the Farm: Lettuce Wraps

Zucchini Stir Fry 

Ingredients

1 TBS cooking oil

1 TBS toasted sesame oil

1 red onion, sliced thin

1 red bell pepper, diced 

2 zucchini cut into ¼-inch slices

2 TBS garlic minced

1 tsp ground ginger

2 TBS soy sauce

¾ TBS rice wine vinegar

Salt and pepper to taste

Hot cooked rice to serve

Toasted sesame seeds for garnish (optional)

Instructions

1. Heat a large skillet over medium to medium high heat; adding 1 TBS each vegetable and sesame oil. Sauté the onion and bell pepper for about 6-7 minutes, until they are tender and beginning to caramelize. Add in the garlic and sauté another minute. Add in the ginger, a dash of salt and pepper, soy sauce, and vinegar and sauté for just a minute. Add in the zucchini, stirring and cooking until it is crisp tender (3-6 minutes, depending on thickness and how tender you would like it - don't over cook).
2. Taste and adjust the seasonings to your preference. 
3. Serve over hot cooked rice with a sprinkling of sesame seeds if desired!

Recipe adapted from Curry Trail