Cook from your garden
Ingredients :
• 2 cups of low-fat chicken broth
• 1 cup of brown rice
• Three quarters of a cup of white sugar
• 1 tablespoon dry white wine or water
• 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons tomato sauce
• 2 tablespoons corn starch
• Half a cup water
• 1 - 2 tablespoons sesame oil
• Half or one cup thinly sliced pork loin / chicken
• One quarter cup thinly sliced celery
• Half a cup thinly sliced carrots
• Half a cup of green and red peppers , cut in 2 cm pieces
• Half a cup broccoli pieces , cut in 2 cm pieces
South Africa is blessed with a wonderful climate , allowing even city dwellers to grow vegetable gardens and fruit trees . Growing your own fruit and vegetables is not only rewarding , it is healthy . It is also a great skill to teach children . Even if you live in a small space , consider options such as growing vegetables in pots or old car tyres . Once you reap the rewards of your hard work , there is nothing more rewarding than to use your harvest in some delicious recipes .
Here are two recipes that you can adjust easily to use the fruit and vegetables you cultivated in delicious dishes .
Sweet and sour rice and vegetables
( serves 4 )
There is nothing like cooking with vegetables harvested from your own garden . But what to do with them ? With this recipe you can give your locally produced vegetables an oriental flair . As much as this recipe calls for either pork or chicken , if you prefer a vegetarian dish , just leave out the meat .
Prep time : 15 minutes | Cook time : 15 minutes Instructions
1 . Put broth and rice into large saucepan . Bring to a boil , cover and cook over low heat for 45 minutes until broth is absorbed and rice is tender . Cover and let stand for 10 minutes before serving .
2 . Put sugar , white wine / water , white wine vinegar , soy sauce and tomato sauce in a small saucepan , heat to boiling . Stir the corn starch into the water until smooth and dissolved . Add to the sugar mixture , heat over low heat and stir until thickened . Keep warm .
3 . Slice and dice all vegetables before starting to cook . Heat an empty wok or 30 cm non-stick skillet until hot , not smoking . Add the oil , stir to coat pan , then add the meat , stir to brown . Remove the meat , keep warm . Add the carrots , celery and onions , cook for 1 - 2 minutes . Add the peppers and broccoli , cook for 3 - 5 minutes , stirring carefully .
4 . Add the sweet and sour sauce and meat to the vegetables , stir to coat meat and vegetables with the sauce . Cover and bring to a simmer for 5 minutes .
5 . Serve on brown rice .
You can leave the meat and replace the broth with a vegetable broth to make this a delicious vegetarian option .
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