Sesame Asparagus and Yellow Pepper

Sesame Asparagus and Yellow Pepper

Serves 4 – 5, as a side dish

Takes about 35 minutes

This colorful dish is very simple and easy to make.  It pairs well with a fancy dinner or merely with plain brown rice.

Ingredients:

1 lb asparagus, ends trimmed off and cut in half

2 yellow peppers, sliced into strips

2 tbsp sesame oil

3 tbsp soy sauce

1 tsp thai chili sauce (optional)

2 tsp sesame seeds

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix asparagus, sesame oil, soy sauce, and chili sauce (if using) in a baking pan.  Bake for 8 minutes.

2. Increase heat to 400 degrees.  Add peppers and toss well to coat in liquid.  Continue to bake for another 20 minutes.  Top with sesame seeds. Serve hot.

Sesame Seitan

Flexible and pretty fast to make if you already have seitan on hand.

Sesame Seitan

Ingredients:

1 lb diced seitan

1 red pepper, diced

¾ cup chopped mushrooms (or veggie of your choice: ¼ of a cauliflower, ¼ of broccoli head, 1 cup snow peas, etc.)

1 onion, diced

2 tbsp chopped ginger

3 tbsp sesame oil

1 cup seitan broth or vegetable broth

3 tbsp tahini

3 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp rice vinegar

2 tsp sugar

2 tbsp cornstarch

3 tbsp water

Roasted sesame seeds for garnish

1. Heat 2 tbsp of sesame oil in a pan.  Add onion and sauté for about 4 minutes.  Then add ginger, red pepper, and mushrooms (or alternate vegetable) and sauté for another 4 or until all veggies are cooked but still crisp. 

2. In a small pan, mix the seitan broth, tahini, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, and 1 tbsp of sesame oil.  In a separate bowl or measuring cup, dissolve the cornstarch in the water and mix until smooth.  Mix cornstarch/water mixture into the other sauce ingredients.  Heat on high, stirring constantly, until sauce has thickened, about 5 minutes.  Add seitan to vegetables and pour sauce over the whole thing.  Garnish with sesame seeds.