1. Combine 1⁄4 cup stock, soy sauce, cornstarch and chili paste, if using, in a small bowl until smooth. Set aside. Crush the garlic cloves by smashing with the side of a knife; peel.
2. Coat a large nonstick wok or deep frying pan with nonstick cooking spray. Add the oil and set the wok over high heat until hot but not smoking. Stir-fry the ginger and garlic until fragrant, about 1 minute. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
3. Add the broccoli to the wok and stir-fry just until it begins to soften, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a bowl. Add the corn, red pepper and water chestnuts and stir-fry just until they begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Return the broccoli to the wok and add the remaining stock.
4. Cover and cook until the vegetables are crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Whisk the cornstarch mixture again and add to the wok with the ginger and garlic. Stir-fry until the sauce thickens and boils, about 1 minute. Sprinkle the spicy garlic vegetable stir-fry with sesame seeds and serve.

PER SERVING

165 calories
8 g protein
5 g total fat
1 g saturated fat
0 mg cholesterol
23 g total carbohydrate
7 g sugars
6 g fibre
774 mg sodium

Stir-frying is a fast, easy and healthy way to cook, but it pays to be prepared. Cut up and measure all ingredients before you heat the wok. Make sure all vegetables are cut into similar-size pieces so they cook evenly. Stir-fry vegetables with similar cooking times together. Most of all, don’t crowd the pan: If you add too many vegetables, they will steam rather than fry, and they’ll end up soggy.