Green Bean Stir Fry

I pulled this recipe out of the archives because there was no photo to go with it (well there was but it was so awful I was too embarrassed to show it). Now I have an updated photo but I still can't think of a better name for the dish. Steven calls them "squeaky beans" because they're cooked so that they are still crisp and squeak when you eat them. With additions like garlic, spicy sauce, and dried shrimp, these beans are really flavorful, definitely not your average bland and blanched green bean.

(From the recipe archives)

Green Beans Stir Fry
1 lb green beans, ends trimmed
2 Tbsp finely diced Chinese dried radish or zha cai
2 - 3 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
2 tsp small dried shrimp, chopped
1 tsp of Asian spicy red pepper sauce (I use the brand Lao Gan Ma) or substitute with some red pepper flakes or other hot sauce, adjust to your tastes or omit entirely
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp rice vinegar
1 tsp packed brown sugar
2 tsp vegetable oil
salt and pepper

Heat 2 tsp of vegetable oil in a wok or skillet over medium high heat. Add dried shrimp and dried radish and fry in oil for 30 seconds to a minute.

Add green beans, garlic, and red pepper sauce (if using) and stir fry for a minute.

Add soy sauce, brown sugar, and vinegar and cook covered until the beans are to your liking.

I like my beans crunchy but if you prefer beans to be more tender, cook them covered for longer and if the pan gets too dry add a scant tablespoon of water.

Serves 3 - 4

Bok Choy

Sometimes when I cook vegetables, I like to keep it simple, just a quick stir fry with a bit of salt. Nothing else, no garlic, ginger, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, etc. etc. Just oil and salt. This way it keeps the flavors clean and refreshing. There are so many varieties of bok choy it's sometimes hard to keep them straight. The kind of bok choy I most often use is baby bok choy, the variety with light green instead of white stalks. When it comes to most Chinese vegetables, bigger isn’t always better, the smaller ones are sweeter and more tender. Even in the same plant, I find that the inner leaves are much sweeter and tastier than the outer ones.

There are also many ways to cut bok choy. Some prefer to chop the leaves and separate the greens from the stalks since the leaves cook faster. Others like to cut the entire bok choy in half lengthwise or in quarters and cook it in large segments. What I like to do is take each leaf and slice down lengthwise to get about 1/2 in strips, leaf intact. I think it’s prettier this way and it’s more manageable to eat than a huge quarter segment.




Stir fried Bok Choy
Bok choy (1 head per person)
Salt
1 tsp vegetable oil per 2 bunches bok choy

Wash each leaf to get rid of the dirt, especially in the spoon-like area in the bottom. Slice 2 or 3 times lengthwise down the leaf for strips.

Heat oil in a wok or nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add the bok choy and salt; cook stirring frequently. Cook until all the leaves are wilted then for another 1 minute and serve.

Links:
Check out Elise's Baby Bok Choy with Sherry and Prosciutto recipe.

Roast Red Pepper and Sundried Tomato Tart

I love roasted red peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, and puff pastry individually but combining them in a tart seemed like a delicious idea. This is another good hors d'oeuvre or appetizer. If I were to make this again I would layer the roasted red pepper on top of the sundried tomatoes, rather than scattering the tomatoes on top, so they don't burn. You can also add some fresh herbs, bacon pieces, and or goat cheese but I decided to keep the flavors simple.

I use the Pepperidge Farm puff pastry sheets because making puff pastry from scratch takes hours and is a hassle. Each box contains 2 square sheets and each sheet yields 9, around 3 x 3 in tarts. When I first made these, I put the peppers and sun-dried tomatoes on unbaked pieces of puff pastry. Then I ran into the problem of sun-dried tomatoes burning and the puff pastry not puffing. So this can be remedied by first prebaking each piece of puff pastry until they're puffed but not entirely golden brown, around 10 minutes (the baking instructions for the puff pastry states 15 minutes at 400ºF is sufficient so I baked for 10 minutes). The toppings are added to the pastry and the tart is finished baking at a lower temperature.

Roasted Red Pepper and Sundried Tomato Tart
1 sheet puff pastry, cut into 3 x 3 in squares
2 roasted red bell peppers, sliced into strips
2 - 3 Tbsp sun dried tomatoes (Trader Joes jar is excellent), minced

Optional:
Fresh herbs
Goat cheese
Bacon

Keep the puff pastry squares chilled until ready to bake.

Roast the bell peppers. You can do this on a gas stove top or roast under the broiler.

Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Bake the puff pastry for 10 minutes, until each piece is golden. Remove the pastry and lower the oven temperature to 350ºF.

Spead 1/2 tsp to 1 tsp of sundried tomatoes on each piece of puff pastry. Then layer strips of red pepper on top of the tomatoes.

Bake at 350ºF for 5 - 10 minutes, until the tart edges are golden brown.

Serve warm.

Yields 9 tarts