Stir Fry Broccoli with Bacon and Mushroom

Children are naturally picky eaters, especially when it comes to vegetables.  As with all mothers, I try to encourage my kid to eat his greens.  I remembered when he was about 3+ years old, he turned really picky about which type of vege he ate, and even developed this naughty habit of being able to self induce vomit if he ate something not palatable.


But I am quite a firm parent, and I use my parental authority liberally to get him to eat at least two mouthfuls of any type of greens (read "force-feed"), then I let him off.  So he dutifully chows down two mouthfuls, then plea with all the innocence he could muster. ;P 


Thankfully that phase has passed now that he has turned 5.  I also liked to think that due to all those force-feeding sessions (!), he has actually discovered that not all vege taste horrible.  He has a few favourite greens, mainly broccoli, spinach, french beans, watercress and lotus root (not quite a veg i know).  So i cook these quite often, and paired them with other palatable ingredients such as prawns, fish balls, eggs and of course bacon. 

When choosing broccoli, look for those that have compact florets, and as small the green buds as possible.  We love Australian broccoli - it is much more tender than the China ones, but also 4-5 times more expensive! Last time I checked, Jusco was selling them at almost $30 per kilo.



Stir Fry Broccoli with Bacon and Mushroom

• 1 medium size floret of broccoli
• 3 rashes of bacon
• 1/2 packet of hokto straw mushroom
• 2 pips garlic, chopped
• 2-3 slices of ginger, slivered
• 1 tsp oil
• 1/2 tsp chicken stock powder
• Dash of chinese cooking wine
• Dash of salt and pepper

1.  Cut the broccoli into small, bite size florets.  Rinse and pour the florets into a deep bowl with a sprinkling of water.  Microwave on medium high for about 60secs or until half cooked.  Drain thoroughly and set aside.


2.  Trim the fat from the bacon rashes and cut into small pieces.


3.  Heat the oil and fry the garlic, ginger and bacon together for about 1 min until fragrant.    Add the mushroom and fry for another minute.






I love these hokto mushrooms; available from most supermarkets. 
They have a nice bouncy texture, and are
perfect for either stir fries or in soup.

4.  Add the broccoli and the seasonings.  If the dish is too dry, sprinkle some water to moisten it.  Adjust the taste accordingly and serve immediately with steam rice.