Virtual stir-frying

Stir-frying is the lazy man's cooking method of choice. It's easy to do (chop chop, stir stir, fry fry), and a hot meal is on the table in just a few minutes. For those of us who are even lazier at times, here is the lazy man's momma's cooking technique:

Virtual stir-frying *

1. Take a vegetable that you would normally stir-fry (Zucchini, bell peppers, Asian greens)


2. Chop it up into small pieces that would cook in a wok in just a couple of minutes. (No wok needed, don't worry)


3. Put veggies in a microwaveable container that comes with a lid


4. Drizzle in a small amount of cooking oil (or olive or flavored, if you want to be fancy)


5. Sprinkle a bit of salt


6. Put the lid on, and shake it all around


7. Pop it into the microwave and cook on high for a couple of minutes


8. Take the container out, give the veggies another shake, and cook again for a few minutes. (The amount of cooking time depends on type of veggie and size of chopped pieces).

I did this for the zucchini in my homemade bento dinner tonight. Okay, it was just food on top of rice in a bowl so it wasn't really a bento. But there you go.




* Virtual stir-frying works well with vegetables. Try other types of food at your own risk. Don't neglect the oil. You'll get a sopping mess of half-steamed veggies if you don't coat everything with a thin layer of oil. And nobody likes that.