Sesame Carrots on a Bed of Soft Cabbage

Recipe by: Mollie Katzen | from Mollie Katzen's Vegetable Heaven: Over 200 Recipes For Uncommon Soups, Tasty Bites, Side-By-Side Dishes, and Too Many Desserts

Cookstr

Course: Vegetable

Total Time: Under 30 Minutes

Skill Level: Easy

Cost: Inexpensive

Photo by: Joey De Leo

Here is a tasty two-layered vegetable dish that seems to appeal to people of all ages. Use the smallest baby carrots you can find. (If they’re really small, you can use them whole, so there will be less chopping to do.)

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

INGREDIENTS

2 teaspoons Chinese sesame oil
3 cups baby carrots
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
2 tablespoon honey
2 teaspoons sesame tahini
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
3 cups chopped onion
6 cups chopped napa or savoy cabbage
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Mix the tahini from the bottom of the container before using it, so it will be smooth enough to blend into the sauce and effectively coat the carrots.

Heat a nonstick wok or a large, deep nonstick skillet, and add the sesame oil, carrots, and ½ teaspoon of the salt. Stir-fry over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes. Cover, and cook for another 5 minutes.

Turn the heat down to medium, and add the vinegar. Cover again, and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Stir in the honey, tahini, and garlic, and cook uncovered, stirring frequently, for 5 to 8 more minutes, or until the carrots are tender and starting to brown.

At the same time, heat a second non-stick wok or skillet, and add the vegetable oil, the onion, and the remaining ½ teaspoon salt. Stir-fry over medium heat for 10 minutes, then add the cabbage. Keep the heat high, and stir-fry another 5 minutes or so, or until the cabbage wilts. (It will still be slightly crunchy.) Transfer to a serving platter.

Spoon the carrots on top of the cabbage. Grind some black pepper over the top, and serve hot, warm, or at room temperature.

Notes

To streamline preparation, have all the ingredients ready and right at hand before you start cooking. Use two pans, and cook the two components of this dish side by side to save time. This won’t add much to the cleanup, because nonstick pans are so easy to wash.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION

Nutrients per serving (% daily value)

This recipe serves 6.

Calories 121kcal (6%)

Calcium 68mg (7%)

Vitamin C 29mg (49%)

Vitamin A 380mcg RAE (13%)

Potassium 409mg

Magnesium 35mg

Protein 3g

Sugar 13g

Fiber 5g