Purpose

• One of the challenges in making stir-fry or Asian noodles is cooking the vegetables. Onions, peppers and snap peas cook fairly quickly, but carrots and broccoli tend to take longer. If you add them all at once, the fast-cooking vegetables are limp and mushy by the time the firmer vegetables are done. Steaming or boiling broccoli and carrots ahead of time can solve this dilemma so everything is ready at the same time.

Method

• If you opt to cook broccoli ahead of time, boil it in slightly salted water for 5 to 7 minutes, or just until tender. If you cook it too long, you'll end up with mushy broccoli. Once done, drain it immediately and run cold water over it to stop the cooking process. Allow it to dry or blot it with a paper towel before you add it to the noodles.

Alternatives

• The ideal texture for vegetables mixed with noodles is crisp-tender -- neither hard nor mushy. Achieving this balance is a bit tricky. Although boiling will tenderize broccoli, it also robs the vegetable of much of its color and nutrients. Try lightly steaming broccoli instead or place it in a microwave-safe bowl with 1/2 inch of water and microwave it for 30 seconds to 2 minutes, or until just tender. You can also try frying broccoli and other vegetables in batches with the noodles, rather than dumping everything in the pan at once, or add broccoli first, followed by any other vegetables. Keep a small amount of oil in the pan and keep the temperature on medium-high.

Considerations

• Whenever you're frying noodles with vegetables, keep the oil at a high enough temperature that the vegetables and noodles cook quickly, but not so high that the oil smokes. Quick cooking ensures crisp-tender results that aren't overly greasy. Olive oil has a strong flavor and smokes at high temperatures, making it a poor choice for frying noodles and broccoli. Opt for a mild-flavored oil that can take high heat, such as peanut or canola oil.