Stir-Fried Asparagus with Ginger and Sesame

Name: Stir Fried Asparagus with Ginger and Sesame
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 5 min
Ingredients: 1 & 1/2-2 tablespoons high heat oil (e.g. peanut or sunflower); 2 teaspoons fresh ginger (about 1" piece) peeled and minced; 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic (Note - Can add more if you're a fan of garlic); 2 tablespoons Shao Hsing rice wine or dry sherry; 2 tablespoons soy sauce; 1 teaspoon sesame oil (I use toasted sesame oil - either toasted or "regular" works ); 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (or less); 1 teaspoon sugar; 1/2-1 tablespoon sesame seeds

March 31, 2015 by Laura 28 Comments

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I need this Stir-Fried Asparagus with Ginger and Sesame. It’s been a long winter. Snow and cold temperatures left me feeling like all I wanted to do was bake and roast. My fondest desire was to keep the oven on for hours. But last week I saw the first sign of spring – asparagus in grocery stores! OK, maybe a few crocuses popped up too, but it was the asparagus that caught my eye, and my fancy.

I stir-fry year round. But I particularly love to stir-fry fresh vegetables that come into season in the warmer months. Asparagus stir-fry beautifully, flavored with a simple and light ginger and sesame sauce. Grabbing a slender bunch and tossing them into my grocery cart, I went off to bring springtime into my kitchen.

Stir-fried asparagus with ginger and sesame, so easy and tasty | Mother Would Know

Stir-frying is the perfect technique for weekday meals. It allows you to do the preparation ahead of time. Then the cooking itself takes just a few minutes. The key to stir-frying is mise en place, the fancy French phrase for “everything in its place”. You place all the ingredients ready-to-go, next to the wok or skillet in the order you will use them. For more complicated stir-fries, I also place a “cheat sheet” next to the ingredients because referring to a recipe while cooking slows me down. But this dish is simple, so just lining up the ingredients suffices for me.

While this recipe is my own, I must acknowledge my debt to four Asian friends/writers/cooks, Grace Young, Betty Ann Quirino, Pat Tanumihardja and Amy Besa. Having taken me inside the world of Asian home cooking, they are my guides and mentors as I learn how to cook Asian food.

I grew up eating Chinese restaurant/take-out food that began with mass-produced egg rolls and ended with stale fortune cookies. Besides being less than high quality, it wasn’t even real Asian food. From dishes such as hot and sour soup, transformed into a version that barely resembled the real deal, to American inventions such as chop suey, it was the dinner counterpart to the grilled American cheese on white bread that we frequently ate for lunch.

Then I met these women. Technically, my mother would say I haven’t yet met Grace and Pat because we’re online friends. But in my world that counts, especially when you’re talking about food – giving advice, encouragement, and trading recipes.

I learned to season and use a wok from Grace Young and she has become my “wok mentor.” I bought her book, Stir-Frying to the Sky’s Edge and have never looked back. Betty Ann, Pat, and Amy have encouraged me to look beyond China for Asian food inspiration and remind me that you’re never too old to learn from friends and even their mothers and grandmothers.

I have not yet visited Asia, but at least I’ve managed to enjoy real Asian food – in my own kitchen, made with the wisdom and patient guidance of these women and their books and blogs.

Stir-Fried Asparagus with Ginger and Sesame

Stir-fried asparagus with ginger and sesame

The Progressive Eats Asian Feast

Appetizer Chicken Satay

Salad Asian Coleslaw

Soups Egg Drop Soup

Spicy Shrimp Soup

Main Course My Dad’s Chinese Sticky Honey Spareribs ‎

Bread Asian Sweet Bread

Veggies/Sides Sweet and Spicy Pork Egg Rolls

Stir-Fried Asparagus with Ginger and Sesame (you’re here!)

Drinks Soda Chanh (Vietnamese Lime Soda)

Dessert Strawberry Cheesecake Wontons

Welcome to Progressive Eats, our virtual version of a Progressive Dinner Party. This month’s theme is Asian Feast. Our host is Jeanette Chen, who blogs at Jeanette’s Healthy Living. Join us and make something unique and delicious!

If you’re unfamiliar with the concept, a progressive dinner involves going from house to house, enjoying a different course at each location. With Progressive Eats, the host for the month chooses the theme. Members share recipes on the theme suitable for a delicious meal or party. Then you can hop from blog to blog to check them out.

We have a core group of bloggers, but we will always need substitutes. Plus, if there is enough interest, we would consider additional groups. To find out how you can participate, please contact Barb for more information.

The Recipe