Basil, honey and garlic veggies

T-bone steak was on the menu the other day which is an absolute favourite of mine when in need of an iron fix. Cooking the steaks on the Baby Q is a no brainer, however, I wanted a bit of a flavour surge. We have had a bag of carrots in the fridge for about a week now (I had good intentions on making a carrot cake but.....) and I do love carrots but the boys really don't like cooked carrots and I couldn't think of anything more hideous than eating raw carrot sticks with a bleeding piece of meat.

Broccoli is one of the top contenders in the vegetable category. For some reason both boys absolutely love broccollini and I think it has something to do with the stem? If I served up a plate of broccollini florets I'd have two savage youths on my heels making my ears bleed with the winging. BUT, if I use broccollini it is always the first to go? Bizarre!

Anyway, cutting the carrots into sticks makes them a little more interesting on the plate and hopefully a little more delicious for the young masters.

Yet again I pulled out the mortar- this seems to be my thinking stone. Whenever I am not too sure what to do, I peel a few garlic cloves and start pounding until the smell hits my nostrils and I get a few ideas on what to add next.
These veggies take about 5 minutes to make. I serve them quite crunchy because that is what we like, however, if you prefer 'cooked' vegetables just leave the lid on for a bit longer.

They went down a treat and I even got asked for seconds by both boys (I had to pick myself up off the floor when I heard this, believe me). They would be fabulous with just about anything ranging from steaks, pork fillet to fish so next time you are wondering what vegetables to serve with your meal- pull out your wok (or frying pan) and whip these up.

Carrot and broccollini stir fry
1 bunch broccollini, ends cut on a diagonal
3 carrots, peeled and cut into sticks
1 tablespoon fish sauce

2 cloves garlic
good pinch of salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup picked basil leaves
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 tablespoon Shao Hsing cooking wine
2 teaspoons honey

Prepare your vegetables then put to one side.
In a mortar, place garlic cloves, salt and olive oil then pound until garlic is broken into pieces.
Add basil and pound until a paste has formed.
Add oyster sauce, vinegar and honey, stir to combine then leave until needed.

Heat a wok on HIGH heat until very hot. Add in your vegetables and a tablespoon of oil and fry for 1-2 minutes.
Add fish sauce, cover wok with a lid and steam slightly.
Once vegetables have wilted a little pour in your sauce, toss to coat vegetables then place the lid back on and steam for 2-3 minutes.
Taste a veggie to see if it is to your liking, then remove from heat and serve asap.