Spicy Vegetable Stir-Fry

The recipe below is one I tossed together on the fly to accompany the recently-published Red Curry Beef with Eggplant and Mushrooms.  My goal in making it was to make a vegetable dish that was a bit spicy, but seasoned in a manner quite distinct from the Thai-influenced beef dish.  I achieved that goal by using Shriracha sauce, minced ginger and garlic and some coarse-ground black pepper.  The tiny chunks of ginger and black pepper provided little bits of intense flavor in addition to seasoning the entire dish.

It's fast, it's easy and it tastes pretty good.   This dish isn't thesort of thing I tend to make to stand on its own as a meal, but it makes for a great side dish, and someone with more of a vegetarian leaning would probably like it just fine on its own.

Spicy Vegetable Stir-Fry

yield = 5-6 servings (side dish) or 4 servings (main dish)

3              tablespoons soy sauce
1              tablespoon Sriracha sauce
2              teaspoons Asian (dark) sesame oil
1              teaspoon cornstarch
1/2           cup water
2              tablespoons peanut oil
1              pond sugar snap peas
1              pound broccoli florets
1/2           teaspoons freshly-ground black pepper (preferably coarse-ground)
1              tablespoon peeled, minced fresh ginger
2              teaspoons minced garlic
1              tablespoons sesame seeds for garnish (optional)

Mix the soy sauce, Sriracha, sesame oil, cornstarch and water in a small bowl.  Set aside.

Heat the peanut oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering.  Add snap peas and broccoli and stir-fry, stirring often, until the peas turn bright green and the broccoli darkens somewhat (2-3 minutes).  Pour in the sauce mixture and cook, stirring constantly, to coat the vegetables.  After the sauce has thickened, remove from heat, sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve.