Sweet and Sour

A Jar Hunt!

/ sbaskitchen / 2 Comments

Earlier this week we had a day out.  I was on a mission, I needed a particular style of large coffee jar, and I needed in excess of 20!  Fortunately I had collected 10 already, but I needed more.

I mentioned to Gary that I was heading out to do some Op-Shopping (Charity Shopping), and he was keen to join me on my little adventure.  After traveling from one town to the next, and running out of time before the little shops closed, I still needed three more jars, yes, I had managed to collect seven, but was a little anxious to get those last three jars.

In the last small town there were two beautiful Op-Shops, one in the main shopping area and the other at the Anglican Church – I was familiar with both, and I know why, they are not only treasure troves, the people in the stores are always so helpful and kind.  The first shop didn’t have any of the jars I was after, even going to the trouble of checking that there were none stored away out the back, as others had done during the day.   Our last stop, the Anglican Church Op-Shop, and there were two on display, I was so excited.  Hearing that I needed just one more jar, they ducked out to their shed and found another two – I bought the lot!

What a fabulous day – not only did I get to meet with and chat to beautiful people, but I also got what I needed, and maybe a little more – I may have also purchased some beautiful knits for my wardrobe, books to be read, and a few other nic-nacs as well – I couldn’t help myself!

A little reading material…
Beautiful knits…
Op Shopping joy…
Beautiful knits…
Jars all cleaned ready for their next life…

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Sweet & Sour Anything

Sweet and Sour Veg is a great little recipe for using up bits and pieces from the vegie drawer of the fridge, you can even add leftover cooked meat as well (see notes below)!  I know that it has sugar in it, but a little sugar now and then, and you can reduce it to suit your taste, so the flexibility is there.  The great thing that I like about this recipe is that it gets family members who are not normally great veggie and rice eaters, to clean their plate!  So it’s a win for me.

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Sweet & Sour Anything

This is the best recipe for using up all the bits and pieces from the vegie crisper! You can make it with veg only, or add prawns, fish, chicken, pork fillet, or serve with crumbed fish, crumbed prawns, even chicken or pork schnitzel!

Category: Main
Style: Aisan, Thai
Keyword: Vegetarian Option
Quantity: 4
Author: sbaskitchen
Ingredients
  • 1 tbsp cooking oil
  • ½ onion peeled and cut into thin slices or wedges
  • 1 carrot peeled and cut into thin strips or slices
  • ½ red capsicum cut into thin strips or large dice
  • ½ cucumber cut into half moons
  • 100 g snow peas cut cut in half
FOR THE SAUCE
  • 2 tsp cornflour
  • ½ cup water
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp tomato sauce
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • 2 tbsp vinegar
GARNISH
  • 2 spring onions thinly sliced
Instructions

  1. Heat oil in a wok or large frying pan.

  2. Add the carrot and onion, stir-fry for 3 minutes, then add the capsicum and cucumber, stir-fry for 2 minutes and then add the snow peas.

  3. Blend the cornflour, water, soy sauce, tomato sauce, sugar and vinegar together, add to the vegetables and stir until the mixture boils and thickens.

  4. Serve with Jasmine rice garnished with the spring onions.

Notes

This is such a flexible recipe that can be cooked up in no time!

  • The veg in the recipe can be swapped out, or used as a base - you could also add:
    • baby corn
    • bean shoots
    • beans
    • broccoli florets
    • cauliflower florets
    • cabbage
    • tomato wedges
    • zucchini
  • Add a protein
    • chicken
      • stir fry  your veg and remove from the pan and set aside while you then stir fry diced chicken, return the veg to the pan, add the sauce ingredients and continue.
      • alternatively, add leftover cooked chicken after the sauce has thickened, cook in the sauce until heated through.
      • try the sweet and sour veg as an alternative side for crumbed chicken schnitzel - delicious!
    • fish
      • add after the sauce mixture and continue to cook until the fish is just done, alternatively, cook the fish separately and serve on top of the sweet and sour veg.
      • serve the sweet and sour veg alongside crumbed fish.
    •  prawns
      • add after the sauce mixture and continue to cook until the prawns are just done, alternatively, cook the prawns separately and serve on top of the sweet and sour veg.
      • top sweet and sour veg with cooked crumbed prawns
    • pork
      • stir fry  your veg and remove from the pan and set aside while you then stir fry sliced pork loin, return the veg to the pan, add the sauce ingredients and continue.
      • alternatively, add leftover cooked pork after the sauce has thickened, cook in the sauce until heated through.
      • try the sweet and sour veg as an alternative side for crumbed pork cutlets - delicious!
    • tofu
      • press a block of firm tofu for an hour, to remove any excess moisture, then dice and stir fry.  Add to the stir fry vegetables before adding the sauce mixture and continue.
  • If you have leftover steamed veg, just make up a batch of the sauce and carefully reheat the veg in the sauce.
  • Try a little fresh coriander as a garnish, also.
  • The measurements used are metric, therefore
    • 1 tbsp = 4 tsps
    • 1 cup = 250 ml
    • 1/2 cup = 125 ml

 

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With many thanks and kindness,
Julie.