a flash in the pan

Now that spring has sprung, I’m feeling a need to purge, feeling a need to clean. And that need doesn’t stop at my kitchen drawers. My system needs a reboot, too. I’ve got a hankering for something very veggy. I want lots of leafy greens and a cornucopia of crunch. Time to crack out the wok and sizzle up some healthy goodness. The beauty of this meal? It all comes together in a flash. The key is to prep, prep, prep. Heat up your pan, layer the flavors, toss, sauce, and voila! (or the Asian equivalent, thereof.) Your body–and  taste buds–will thank you.

Asian Vegetarian Stir Fry

This is the time to use the freshest vegetables you can find at your farmer’s market or produce section. Choose veggies that will lend different flavors and textures to this dish. In this stir fry, I use yellow bell pepper, snow peas, baby bok choy, shiitake mushrooms and scallions. You might also like to try broccoli, asparagus, baby eggplant, oyster mushrooms, green beans. Love tofu? By all means. Whatever suits your fancy.

To begin, set a pot of rice to cook. In a small skillet, toast 2 tablespoons of sesame seeds, watching closely to make sure they don’t burn, and set aside. Chop and prep all the vegetables–julienne peppers, quarter the baby bok choy lengthwise, cut snow peas in half on the diagonal, slice the shiitakes (remove the bitter stems), and cut scallions diagonally into 1 inch pieces. Thinly slice garlic, ginger and chile pepper, all of which will be the flavor base here.

Heat up a wok pan, or a large skillet, until very hot. Add a neutral oil, like grapeseed or peanut, and heat until shimmering. Add the garlic, ginger and chile and cook, stirring frequently, until translucent and fragrant.

It’s important to be careful when sauteing the vegetables–you want them to be cooked, but still retain a bit of crunch. Begin with the veggies that take longer to cook, like the bell pepper. Stir and cook until just beginning to turn translucent.

 

Add the baby bok choy and toss. When it begins to wilt, stir in the snow peas and shiitake mushrooms. Cook for 2 minutes. Toss in the scallions. For flavor, I add soy sauce and oyster sauce, which adds some richness and depth. You could also use hoisin sauce, if you like it a little sweet, or ponzu sauce for a citrus note. Combine the veggies and sauces well. Finish with sesame oil and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Taste for seasoning, adding a pinch of kosher salt if needed.

Serves 4:

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