I happen to love chives since childhood. In Thailand, there is a snack (people here might call them dumplings) named “Gui Chai”. It literally translates to chive dumpling, but the size varies. Gui Chai has been in my experimental plans for a while, but I have yet to try it. Sauteed chives are a favourite for the Kriheli’s. Chives generally go well with chicken liver or pork liver, however since my husband and I are not a big fan of organs, we chose pork to go along with it. A quick sautee can raise the attraction to otherwise simple vegetables. This is what I prepared for our lunch today. Garlic, pork, chives, oyster sauce and soy sauce sauteed together. I sprinkle chilli flakes (optional) at the end for a Thai touch.

My husband’s the least favourite vegetable is the brussel sprout. I felt compelled to challenge myself to come up with something he would eat and enjoy. The words “Brussel Sprouts” itself scared him when I told him that it will be part of our dinner. I made very simple sauteed Asian style with garlic, freshly chopped chilli, oyster sauce and soy sauce. The trick of this sauteed vegetable dish is heat, so the pan and oil MUST BE HOT enough. You want to feel the crunchiness of the vegetables, but also it must cook through. Another important part is that the shrimp needs to be cooked just done (don’t overcook). This brussel sprout dish makes me proud of myself in that I finally killed his lack of faith in brussel sprouts. This kind of sauteed dish makes him taste real vegetables.