Food Rule 28 and 100 Flower Blossoms

Happy Chinese New Year!  Today marks the start of the Year of the Dragon, and I thought it'd be fun to pair a Chinese dish with our new food rule:

I picked this particular recipe, because, if I'm being honest, I can't remember the last time I ate cauliflower.  I love a million different vegetables, but I always skip over cauliflower.  Maybe because I've only ever had it raw (yuck!) or smothered in goopy cheese (yuck! plus, I stay away from dairy).  But in a light sauce, with some garlic and salt, it's pretty tasty.  I'm going to try incorporating more of this little powerhouse vegetable into my rotation.  It's high in fiber, vitamin C, and anti-cancer phytochemicals, and those are definitely welcome in my diet.

Enjoy!
ssssssss*

* My Chinese sign is a Snake :)  What's yours??

         

100 Flower Blossoms
adapted from Steamy Kitchen

8 oz. cauliflower florets
6 oz. broccoli florets
6 oz. sliced carrots
salt to taste
1 tsp. cornstarch
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon cooking oil
1-2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 cup vegetable broth
6 oz. crab meat, optional
1 egg white

In a large pot of salted water, boil the cauliflower florets for 1 1/2 minutes. Without removing the cauliflower, add the broccoli florets and the carrot slices to the same pot and cook for another 1 1/2 minutes, until fork tender at the stem. Rinse the vegetables with cool water to stop the cooking and drain. Lightly salt the vegetables.

In a small bowl or cup, stir together the cornstarch and the water to make a cornstarch slurry. Set aside.

Heat a wok or large frying pan until hot. Add the cooking oil and swirl to coat. Turn the heat to medium and add the garlic. Fry 15-30 seconds until fragrant, but do not burn. Pour in the vegetable broth and add the salt to taste. Let broth come to a boil.

Stir the cornstarch slurry one more time, and then pour into the broth. Stir and let simmer for 30 seconds until broth has thickened. Stir in optional crab meat. Slowly pour in the egg white and use a fork or chopsticks to gently swirl in one direction to create long tails. Immediately turn off the heat. Taste the broth, and add additional salt if needed. Pour mixture over the vegetables and serve.

         

Ingredient Lineup: