Mixed Vegetables with Sweet and Sour Sauce

We've made this recipe several times, it's so tasty (my beautiful Bride especially likes it), since we found it in a recipe book called Fresh Thai (restaurants would just use vinegar to make it sour, this is a better and healthier version - and fresher). You can use any combination of vegetables you have on hand, today's version includes brussel sprouts. For a totally vegetarian version, substitute light soy sauce for the fish sauce. The recipe in Fresh Thai calls for pineapple in light syrup, we prefer pineapple in its own juice, it's not as sweet and you can add more sugar if you want. If you have a 14 oz can of pineapple, like we normally find, use 2/3 of a can. This is a quick and easy vegetarian recipe, and one we made for our recent Christmas Dinner feast.

Mixed Vegetables with Sweet and Sour Sauce
adapted from a recipe from Fresh Thai by Oi Cheepchaiissara
1 lb mixed vegetables, such as baby corn, cauliflower, green beans, carrots, zucchini and red and yellow bell peppers
1 onion
2 tomatoes
8 oz canned pineapple slices in its own juice (or light syrup)
2 Tbsp vegetable stock or water
1/2 Tbsp cornstarch
1-1/2 Tbsp tomato ketchup
1/2 Tbsp fish sauce
1-1/2 Tbsp sunflower oil
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
boiled rice, to serve

Prepare the vegetables. Cut the baby corn and green beans in half lengthwise at an angle, if using. Cut the carrots into matchsticks. Cut the unpeeled zucchini in half lengthwise and then into thick slices. Core and seed the bell peppers and cut into bite-sized pieces. Cut the cauliflower into larger pieces. Cut the onion into 8 slices and the tomatoes into quarters.

Drain the pineapple (reserving the liquid) and cut each slice into 4 pieces. Mix the pineapple juice (about 6 tablespoons) with the stock, cornstarch, ketchup and fish sauce in a small bowl to make a smooth sauce.

Heat the oil in a nonstick wok or skillet and stir-fry the garlic over medium heat until it is lightly browned. Add the corn, beans, zucchini, cauliflower, carrots, zucchini, peppers and onion and stir-fry for 4-5 minutes.

Add the pineapple pieces, tomato and pineapple juice sauce and stir together for another minute.

Transfer to a serving dish and serve immediately with fragrant rice.