What's for Dinner?

For some, the eternal questions run deep; What is the meaning of life? Where will I go when I die? Is there a God? Do I have a greater purpose? For me, this quest has always had a decidedly gastronomical rather than spiritual focus--what's for dinner? This question has plagued me since I was a child when I would pester my poor mother practically from the moment I got up in the morning. Mom, what are we having for dinner? I would ask. You haven't even eaten breakfast, she would sigh, already exhausted by the prospect of spending a day with a persistent redheaded girl who asked a lot of questions. It's no different today, when I still wonder the same thing, except for the unfortunate detail that I am the one who is in charge of meal planning and preparation. So, of course, it falls to me to both present the query and the answer. Ugh. I hate that sometimes.

Today was no exception--all day long I fretted about dinner; what I should cook, if I needed ingredients at the market, and if I needed to look up a recipe. I was uninspired, uninterested and underwhelmed by the idea of cooking. I like it so much more when I've assessed what I have purchased at the market and I set aside time to make a plan. The good news was that even though I lacked a menu for the week, I did have bagfuls of fresh farmers' market produce looking to be put to good use, and some tofu in the freezer. So I pushed through my inertia and nearly overpowering desire to order take-out, and made dinner after all. A spring veggie stir-fry with brown rice.

Healthy and satisfying at once, this dish really is an easy one to fall back on, provided you have plenty of fresh veg. The sauce works with just about any produce, so use what is freshest and what is seasonal, and most of all, what you have on hand.




Quick Hoisin Stir-Fry
serves 4

1 T freshly grated ginger
1 small head broccoli, chopped (including stems which can be thinly sliced)
5 carrots, scrubbed and sliced
2 small bunches bok choy, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 pound sugar snap peas, de-stringed
1 bunch scallions, washed well and sliced into 1-inch segments
1/2 block tofu, cubed
Brown rice, cooked according to package directions
Toasted sesame seeds

For the sauce:
Combine 2 T soy sauce, 2 T hoisin sauce, 1 T rice wine vinegar, 1 T sherry or white wine, 1 t chili garlic paste, and 1 t cornstarch.

Heat 2 T vegetable oil in a large wok or saucepan over high heat. Add ginger and stir-fry until fragrant (1 minute). Add tofu and stir gently until lightly browned. Toss in broccoli and stems and carrots and fry for 2 minutes, then add the remaining vegetables and stir well. Pour in 1/2 C water and scrape up any dark bits from the bottom of the pan. Cover pan and let steam for 1-2 minutes or until veggies are crisp tender. Uncover, pour in sauce and stir until thickened (1-2 minutes). Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve with soy sauce on the side.

Scallion Sesame Crepes

Despite the fact that the kids (and dog) have been cooped up for much of this long weekend, there is one great thing about rain (well there are many...my garden looks great, the drought may ease up a bit), it means that baseball is cancelled and we can have a leisurely dinner at home, which until recently, I have taken quite for granted. We will all get to sit around the table at the same time and enjoy a meal together, with nowhere to rush off to, and plenty of time to prepare it. My kids will hate this meal, not the togetherness of it, but the taste of it, but hopefully they won't make too much of a fuss and I'll make sure that there is something they like on the table.

When I was looking for recipes for sorrel, I came across a great one for savory crepes, by Deborah Madison in her cookbook, Local Flavors, which has become my farmers market bible of sorts. The crepes, scented with sesame oil, toasted sesame seeds and scallions, are then stuffed with stir fried baby green. I had to go out and buy a non-stick skillet just so I could make the crepes....obviously it is something that I have never tried. But the recipe looked easy enough, and quite tasty too.

It is true what they say about the first two pancakes being something of a mess. I didn't have to go so far as to throw mine out, but the rest of the crepes came out much better, once I got the hang of how to flip them. The filling was so easy to prepare, just a simple saute of mixed veggies. Anything you have on hand would stand in easily for the bok choy and mushrooms, and if you need some extra protein, adding some tofu, shrimp or chicken would make a nice addition.



Scallion Sesame Crepes
makes about 10

1 C water

3/4 C milk

1 T toasted sesame oil

1 T vegetable oil

3 large eggs

1/2 t salt

1 C flour

1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced on the diagonal

toasted sesame seeds for sprinkling

Put first 6 ingredients into a blender and blend well until completely combined. Add flour and blend for 10 seconds more. Set aside to rest for about 15 minutes.

Heat a 9 inch, non-stick skillet over medium heat with a touch of vegetable oil, wiping out the excess. When pan is hot, pour in 1/3 C of batter, swirling pan to distribute evenly. Sprinkle with some of the scallions and the sesame seeds. After top begins to look set (after about one minute), gently loosen the edges with a spatula and carefully flip over. At this point the crepe should move around in the pan easily. Cook for one minute more and then slide out onto a plate. Wrap with foil and keep warm (in a 200 degree oven, if necessary).

Sauteed Bok Choy and Shiitake Mushrooms

This isn't so much a recipe, but rather a simple method for cooking any tender green or vegetable (like sugar snap peas). Simply heat about 1 t of toasted sesame oil and 1 t of vegetable oil in a skillet. Add 1/2 pound of cleaned and sliced shiitake mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until they have released their juice and are becoming tender, about 4 minutes. Add 3 bunches of chopped baby bok choy and continue to saute until bok choy wilts slightly, about 1 minute more. Sprinkle with soy sauce and toasted sesame seeds and serve with scallion sesame crepes.

At Market...Japanese Bok Choy

I was so very happy to find my favorite vendors back at the farmers market after a two month's long absence (I guess everyone needs a vacation occasionally). Luckily, their tables were packed high with the most beautiful selection of winter produce one could lay eyes upon, so their absence was almost excusable, after all, they were still obviously working hard tending their crops. They had Chinese spinach, cilantro, dill, lemongrass, carrots, sweet potatoes, ginger, bok choy, scallions, leeks and more. I settled on what they called Japanese bok choy, mostly because it was so beautiful and I had never seen it before.



It is dark leafed and ruffly with long, tender stems held together at its base. When I sliced them apart, I was pleased to find a little broccoli-type floret, hidden in a cluster of leaves. Raw, they tasted earthy, a bit like cabbage, and not overly bitter like some greens. But when cooked they took on a hearty, almost horseradish flavor, which quite a pleasant surprise for my taste buds. I made them into a little stir-fry with a bit of chicken and served it over rice. The recipe is one I adapted from Bon Appetite, and it tasted light and healthy with a burst of fresh flavor on the tongue. Regular bok choy can be used, but seek out the Japanese kind from your local farmers market for a real treat. This recipe would also work well with firm tofu or mushrooms instead of chicken, and can be marinated the same way.

Japanese Bok Choy Stir-Fry

2-3 bunches of bok choy (Japanese if you can find it), cored and washed

2 chicken breasts, cut in small chunks

3 cloves garlic

1 thumb of ginger, peeled and grated

8 scallions, in one inch slices

2 T vegetable oil

Marinate Chicken:

Toss chicken in a splash of soy sauce, a t of grated ginger and a t of dark sesame oil. Let sit for about 20 minutes.

Make Sauce:

Combine 1/4 C soy sauce, 2 T balsamic vinegar, 2 T dark sesame oil, 2 t cornstarch, 2 T honey in a small bowl.

Heat oil over high heat in a large skillet or wok. Add garlic and ginger and saute just until fragrant. Remove chicken from marinade with a slotted spoon (discard marinade). Add to pan and saute until cooked through, about 3 minutes. Remove from pan. Add bok choy and scallions and stir just until bok choy is starting to wilt. Return chicken to pan and add sauce. Continue to stir until sauce thickens, about 2 minutes. Serve over rice or noodles.