Recipe(tried): Chives Stir-Fried with Bean Sprouts (Ching Chau Sub Choi)

Jackie, your DH has a good eye! I will be trying the thai chicken you posted very soon.

I always get stumped for side dishes for Asian food, too. Something "cooling", like cucumbers, is usually a good bet, as we do like our spices, in my house.

Here is a quick stir fry I tried last night to go with some potstickers. Altho it is Chinese, rather than Thai, it would go nicely too. Cheap and cheerful with chives from my garden! (Altho next time, I will just pour boiling water over the sprouts, let them sit for half a minute, then let them drain in a colander for an hour, as I think it will be just as effective as what she describes in the recipe, and a lot less fuss...they did not seem to dry out much on my wooden counter)

CHIVES STIR-FRIED WITH BEAN SPROUTS
(CHING CHAU SUB CHOI)

3/4 pound bean sprouts
2 tablespoons peanut oil
2 teaspoons minced ginger
1 1/2 cups chives, washed, dried, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 teaspoon salt

One hour before you'd like to stir-fry, bring 4 cups of water to a boil in a large pot. Add the bean sprouts and stir for 10 seconds. Turn off the heat, run cold water into the pot and drain. Boil and drain the sprouts a second time, then lay the sprouts out on a board to dry, loosening them with chopsticks occasionally to help the drying.

Heat a wok over high heat for 1 minute. Add peanut oil and coat the wok, using a spatula. When a wisp of white smoke appears, add the ginger and stir.

When the ginger turns light brown, add the chives and fry, stirring well, for about 30 seconds or until the chives turn bright green.

Add the bean sprouts, stir well, and cook for 1 minute.

Turn off the heat, add the salt and toss well to season. Transfer to a heated dish and serve immediately.

Servings: 4 to 6