green bean and carrot stiry fry

• fresh green beans, ends snapped off
• fresh carrots, sliced thinly lengthwise
• wok oil
• soy sauce
• mirin
• sesame oil

In a small bowl whisk together sesame oil, mirin and soy sauce. Set aside. Heat oil in wok for about 3 minutes over a high flame. Add veggies and cook over a high flame for about 5 minutes or until tender, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in sauce, serve immediately.

The dish: It's impossible to do much of anything these days without hearing about how we can all be greener. For a phrase that didn't exist a few years ago outside of a bike riding frog, it seems as though it really might not be that easy to be green. Eating at home is one sure way to reduce your carbon footprint if for no reason other than you'll be driving to get your food once a week or so at the store as opposed to meal by meal dining out. Bonus if the food you're cooking was grown and sold locally (the above was). Outside of eating food raw, wok cooking is one of the most efficient ways to prepare meals. Using a wok involves cooking food quickly over a high flame, using as little fuel as possible. The curved shape of a wok allows for food at the bottom to be seared at an intense temperature, while being able to be tossed around by the chef with a low likelihood of spillage, reducing waste. The shape also allows for very little heat to escape as the sloping sides capture most of what dissipates from the bottom. The model of efficiency, I wonder why the Government isn't giving us money to trade in our old frying pans on shiny new woks. I hate saying it, but using my wok makes me think that Kermit was wrong, it is easy being green.

beef and beans stiry fry

• brown rice (I used Chinese take out)
• pre-cut stir-fry beef (that's a lot of hyphens)
• Chinese 5 spice (optional)
• 1 bag of green beans and carrots
• soy sauce
• mirin
• sesame oil
• rice vinegar

Combine equal parts soy sauce, mirin, sesame oil and vinegar together, set aside. Sprinkle beef with a little Chinese 5 spice and brown in a little wok oil over high heat. Once cooked set aside and drain wok of any residue. In a little more wok oil cook veggies for about 5 minutes or until bright green. Turn heat off and add beef and sauce. Serve immediately over brown rice.

The dish: This an easy dish that can be made with a few instant ingredients and some stuff from your well equipped Asian pantry, we talked about that already, remember? We also went over some basic wok skills a while back, so you should be an old hand at this point. If you don't own a wok, go get one. There's no need to spend a lot of money, I have a cheap one and it's held up quite nicely throughout the years. Stir-frying is a great way to whip up a healthy (in spite of the name) dinner that can be ready in less time than most "instant" meals require.

veggie and tofu ginger stir-fry

• 1 brick of tofu, cubed


• 1 yellow pepper, cut into matchsticks, or julienned if you think that highly of yourself


• 1 bag of cut green beans and carrots


• wok oil


• mirin


• soy sauce


• ginger flavored soy sauce


• cooked rice

Heat your wok over the hottest flame you can find for about 5 minutes. While doing that combine a generous amount of ginger flavored soy sauce with smaller amounts of mirin and regular soy sauce. When the wok gets red hot add the wok oil and swirl around being careful not to cause a small fire. Add the tofu and cook over high heat until firm and browned about 5 minutes. Add a little more wok oil and the veggies, cook for another 3-5 minutes. Toss in sauce to mixture and serve over rice.

The dish: I don't reinvent the wheel, I buy rice from my local Chinese place; it cost about a buck and tastes better than any rice I've ever made. Good wok skills boil down to three basic factors: 1. Use good quality, authentic ingredients. Do not cook in a wok with any oil other than wok oil, it has a high smoke point and a neutral flavor. 2. Be prepared. Cooking in a wok came about as a way to conserve energy, so cooking times are short and the flame is always high. Make sure everything is prepped beforehand. 3. Be not afraid. There is a good chance that between the high heat and its odd shape that you will set the thing on fire, it's no big deal if you do. Seriously, in the event of any kitchen fire, turn the heat on the stove off, RIGHT AWAY. If you're thinking clearly you can wet a kitchen towel and throw it over the flames, but NEVER throw water directly onto a burning stove.