Stir-Fried Asian Greens and Mushrooms

I am a shameless bargain hunter, even at the farmers' market. So when I saw that one of my favorite farms had a special on mustard greens and mizuna, I had to pick up one of each. Mustard greens have become more well-known in recent years, appearing in Indian, African, Chinese, and Japanese cuisine, but mizuna hasn't reached quite the same level of awareness. Mizuna, also known as Japanese mustard, is a peppery green, with a flavor similar to arugula, though a little less assertive in my opinion. It can be pickled, incorporated into a salad (e.g. in lieu of frisee), or, as I have chosen to do here, used in a stir-fry.

With leftover rice or a rice cooker, this meal truly takes 20 minutes, and would take even a bit less with pre-sliced mushrooms. While the mushrooms cook, there's time chop the greens and whisk the sauce together, which cook up quickly as soon as they get tossed in the pan. The earthy mushrooms and piquant greens complement each other nicely, but it's the balanced sweet, savory, toasty sauce that brings everything together. This would be a fine side dish on its own, but becomes a meal over a bed of rice or noodles, and more satisfying one with the addition of tofu, chicken, beef, or pork.

I used cremini mushrooms and mizuna to start, but there's certainly room to experiment with shiitakes, oyster mushrooms, hen of the woods, or just plain old button mushrooms. I like the peppery punch of mizuna, but bok choy or tatsoi would make fine substitutions, as could other non-Asian greens like mustard greens or even collards or kale. The bottom line - pick a mushroom, pick a green, and get to cooking.

Stir-Fried Asian Greens and Mushrooms
adapted from Gourmet
serves 2

8 ounces mushrooms (shiitake, cremini, etc.), sliced
1 tablespoon canola oil
Kosher or sea salt
2 tablespoons rice vinegar (not seasoned)
1.5 tablespoons soy sauce
1 1/4 teaspoons sugar or honey
3/4 teaspoon finely grated peeled fresh ginger
3/4 teaspoon Asian sesame oil
4 to 5 ounces Asian greens (mizuna, tatsoi, etc.), chopped into large pieces
Rice, noodles, or other grain, for serving (optional)
Sriracha or other hot sauce, for serving (optional)

1. Preheat a pan over medium high heat. Add oil, and when it begins to shimmer, add mushrooms and cook, stirring frequently, until mushrooms are browned and tender, about 5 minutes. Add mizuna and cook, stirring frequently, until the greens are slightly wilted, another 1 or 2 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, whisk vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, ginger, and sesame oil together in a small bowl. Pour vinegar mixture over vegetables and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until sauce coats all the vegetables and is cooked to desired consistency, usually another 2 to 4 minutes. Serve promptly over rice or noodles, drizzled with hot sauce, if desired.

Steak, Edamame, and Cabbage Stir-Fry with Peanut Sauce

I don't know people with nut allergies survive sometimes. Not only do tons of products you'd never suspect have the potential to contain trace amounts, but nuts add flavor and nutrition to so many meals. Personally, I'm a sucker for anything with peanut butter or peanut sauce. For dessert, peanut butter and chocolate are an undeniably wonderful pair, but peanut butter and chilies make just as great a pair in savory applications.

I came across this while looking for ways to use up a formidable head of red cabbage but the truth is, just about any veggie would taste great stir-fried and drizzled with this peanut sauce. The sweet, savory, spicy sauce is the perfect contrast to the fresh and crunchy vegetables, rich enough to be filling, but not so much as to bury the steak and edamame. I love this with warm ingredients straight from the wok, but I can see this sauce in cold noodle dishes (or leftovers) or as a dipping sauce for spring rolls or dumplings as well.

Steak, Edamame, and Cabbage Stir-Fry with Peanut Sauce
adapted from Eating Well
serves 4

1/4 cup smooth natural peanut butter
1/3 cup orange juice
3 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste
4 teaspoons canola oil, divided
4 cloves garlic, minced
8 ounces pound flank steak, trimmed and thinly sliced
1 small head Savoy or red cabbage, thinly sliced
2-5 tablespoons water
2 medium carrots, grated
1 cup cooked edamame
1/4 cup chopped unsalted roasted peanuts, (optional)
Sriracha or other hot sauce, for serving (optional)
Rice or noodles, for serving (optional)

1. Whisk peanut butter, orange juice, soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, and red pepper flakes in a medium bowl until smooth. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add steak and cook, stirring, until browned and barely pink in the middle, 2 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.

2. Reduce heat to medium. Swirl in the remaining 2 teaspoons oil. Add cabbage and 2 tablespoons water; cook, stirring, until beginning to wilt, 3 to 5 minutes. Add carrots and edamame (and more water if necessary to prevent sticking or burning) and cook, stirring, until just tender, about 3 minutes more. Return the steak and any accumulated juices to the pan, then pour in the peanut sauce and toss to combine. Serve topped with peanuts and hot sauce over noodles or rice, if desired.

Spicy Cauliflower and Bok Choy Stir-Fry with Coconut

The first time I cooked bok choy was two years ago, after picking up my first CSA share from Crossroads Community Farm (then Primrose Community Farm). I'm now in my third year as a member and still looking forward to that fresh and crunchy green. When I have it, I'll often use it in my ever-evolving fried rice recipe or simply stir-fry it in sesame oil and finish it with a bit of Sriracha, but I also love incorporating it into more elaborate recipes like this one. Though not through any particular effort on my part, coconut has been making into all manner of my recipes lately (including a coffee stout that is currently fermenting). The first non-baked-good recipe I can remember trying and loving is Baked Curried Rice with Apples and Coconut, but it was Crispy Kale-and-Tofu Salad with Coconut that really made me fall in love with coconut in savory dishes. Just a little bit of toasted coconut gives this dish a lot of richness, and it is nicely balanced by the freshness of the bok choy and herbs, spiciness of the chili sauce, and sweetness of the agave. Fish sauce sneaks in some umami without adding a fishy flavor and the shrimp/chicken/tofu turns this into a filling main that needs only a bed of rice or noodles to become a complete meal.

Spicy Cauliflower and Bok Choy Stir-Fry with Coconut
adapted from Martha Stewart
serves 2

1 tablespoon canola oil
1/4 large head cauliflower, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
1/2 large head bok choy, trimmed and sliced into 1-inch strips (about 8 ounces)
1/2 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined or boneless, skinless chicken breast or tofu, cut into bite-size pieces
3 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon sambal oelek or other Asian chili sauce, or to taste
1 tablespoon agave syrup or honey
2 teaspoons fish sauce
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves or cilantro, plus more for garnish
3 tablespoons unsweetened flaked coconut, toasted
Rice or noodles, for serving (optional)

1. Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add cauliflower, and reduce heat to medium. Cook until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Add bok choy, and cover. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender, about 8 minutes. Transfer vegetables to a plate, and loosely tent with foil.

2. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in same skillet over medium-high heat. Add shrimp, (or chicken or tofu) and cook until they begin to turn opaque, about 2 minutes. Flip shrimp and, using a wooden spoon, push them to one side, and add remaining 1/2 teaspoon oil to exposed area. Add garlic, and cook, stirring, until very fragrant but not brown, about 1 minute.

3. Toss garlic with shrimp. Stir in sambal oelek, agave syrup, and fish sauce. Add vegetables, and cook until heated through, about 30 seconds. Add basil, and serve immediately over rice or noodles (if desired). Top with coconut flakes and more basil.

Ginger Shrimp, Sugar Snap Pea, and Corn Stir-Fry

Sugar snap peas are one of the things I most eagerly anticipate appearing at the farmers' market. Left to my own devices, I could probably eat a half-pound of fresh peas in one sitting, but they quite often make into stir-fries like this one. Shrimp is indelibly associated with sugar snap peas in my mind, needing only a generous sprinkling of red peppers and corn to complete this delicious and visually impressive meal. Healthy of portions of fresh and crunchy vegetables happily mingle with tender shrimp on a bed of rice (or noodles) in a subtly spicy sauce in this perfect summer meal. This stir-fry isn't particularly adventurous or unusual, but it is a wonderful collection of classic flavors that subtly accents the featured ingredients, letting them shine in the best possible light. In a move a bit off the beaten path, I served my stir-fry with wild rice (actually a grass) instead of my usual brown, a substitution I found immensely satisfying. Even more flavorful and texturally interesting than white or brown rice (though also more expensive), wild rice is a more complex accompaniment to stir-fry that I heartily recommend trying. Although there are surely many more stir-fry recipes to come as I impulsively buy vegetables at the farmers' market, I hope you enjoy this classic stir-fry to kick off a summer of bountiful produce.

Ginger Shrimp, Sugar Snap Pea, and Corn Stir-Fry
from Bon Appetit, via Epicurious
serves 4

1 pound uncooked large shrimp, peeled, deveined
2 tablespoons canola oil
3 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
1 pound sugar snap peas, strings removed
1 cup fresh corn kernels (cut from about 2 ears)
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
3 green onions, thinly sliced on diagonal
2 teaspoons black or white sesame seeds (optional)

1. Mix shrimp, 1 tablespoon oil, 1 1/2 teaspoons ginger, half of garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and crushed red pepper in medium bowl. Let stand 1 hour.

2. Heat wok or large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add shrimp mixture; sauté until shrimp are just opaque in center, about 2 minutes. Transfer shrimp to bowl. Add 1 tablespoon oil to wok, then add sugar snap peas, corn, bell pepper, green onions, 1 1/2 teaspoons ginger, and remaining garlic. Stir-fry until vegetables are crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Return shrimp and any accumulated juices from bowl to wok; stir-fry 1 minute longer. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve.

Shiitake, Sugar Snap, and Bok Choy Stir-Fry

When I was a kid, I had the cliched dislike of peas, and although I would sometimes even pick them out of soup, I always adored sugar snap and snow peas. As an adult, I still don't love plain peas, but can still gobble up massive quantities of any kind of peas in their pods (this is not an exaggeration-I have eaten an entire pound of sugar snap peas by myself in one sitting). And while I can't get enough of fresh, crunchy raw sugar snap peas, they also are one of my favorite stir-fry ingredients. Stir-fries can be carefully conceived dishes, or a quick and delicious way to use up odds and ends of vegetables, and this stir-fry is somewhere in between. I bought sugar snap peas with the intention of making some sort of stir-fry and fleshed out the recipe after picking up the other ingredients that simply struck my fancy at the farmers' market that I thought would go well with the sugar snap peas. The classic stir-fry Asian flavors of garlic, ginger, soy, and toasted sesame oil blend harmoniously with the fresh and crunchy peas and bok choy and earthy mushrooms and let the veggies take center stage in this dish. The next time you're staring at an odd collection of ingredients in the fridge or want to frame a dish around an ingredient that just looked too good to pass up at the farmers' market (my eternal problem), think no further than a stir-fry!


Shiitake, Sugar Snap Pea, and Bok Choy Stir-Fry
adapted from Food and Wine
serves 4

1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
4 teaspoons toasted sesame oil 
2 tablespoons canola oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
3 cloves garlic, minced
8 ounces shiitake or oyster mushrooms, sliced
1 pound baby bok choy, stalks cut into 1/2-inch pieces, leaves shredded
1/2 pound sugar snap peas
4 teaspoons soy sauce
2-4 cups cooked brown rice, for serving

1. In a small glass or stainless-steel bowl, combine the ginger, lemon juice, sesame oil, 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, and the pepper. Set aside.

2. In a wok or a large nonstick frying pan, heat canola oil over moderately high heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 10 seconds. Add the bok-choy stalks and mushrooms and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the peas and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the soy sauce and cook, stirring, for 1 minute longer.

3. Add the bok-choy leaves and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt to the pan. Cook, tossing gently, until the leaves just wilt, 1 to 2 minutes. Add vinaigrette and toss to coat. Remove the pan from heat and serve warm over brown rice.

Simple Stir Fry Sauce

Stir-fries are one of the best ways to use up mass amount of vegetables of all different kinds. With the huge amount of vegetables I've gotten and will be getting from my CSA these next couple of months, I'm sure to be making a lot of them. I found this great recipe for a really simple and absolutely delicious stir fry sauce on the website for Primrose Community Farm, the farm I get my CSA from. This sauce is a well-balanced combination or sweet, salty, and savory and goes well with all manner of vegetables. I used this sauce on a stir-fry of mushrooms, onions, garlic, tatsoi, and teriyaki baked tofu, which I cooked in chili-infused peanut oil I bought from Out of Our Gourd at the farmers' market this past weekend, and served over brown rice. Simple, healthy, and fast-what could be better for a Monday night dinner? It also made a wonderful Tuesday lunch, with all my coworkers commenting on how good my lunch smelled when I brought it to my desk.

Simple Stir-Fry Sauce
adapted from Primrose Community Farm

2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
2 tablespoons sesame oil

Whisk together ingredients in a small bowl until thoroughly combined. Add sauce to stir-fried vegetables and serve over rice or other grains.

Beef, Mushroom, and Broccoli Stir-Fry

I decided I needed to make a stir-fry because one, I got some grass-fed stir-fry meat from Black Earth Meats on sale at the Willy Street Co-op a few weeks ago that has been sitting in my freezer, begging to be used and two, I bought a new rice maker and have wanted to try it out ever it since it was delivered to see if it lived up to the great review it got from America's Test Kitchen. When I think beef and stir-fry, I immediately think of broccoli too, with some other veggies (mushrooms, peppers, onions, etc.) thrown in the mix. For the record, the rice maker cooked my brown rice perfectly, with none of it sticking to the bowl insert. But on to the stir-fry! This is a great basic stir-fry with sauce recipe; feel free to substitute other vegetables and add more red pepper for heat. Chicken or shrimp could be substituted for the beef; this would also be a great vegetarian dish with tofu, marinated in the same manner as the beef (and breaded in cornmeal if you like your tofu crispy). The best thing about stir-fry is that you can pretty much throw in any proteins or vegetables you have in the fridge and it usually turns out pretty well. Grab some veggies, meats, and get cooking!

Beef, Mushroom, and Broccoli Stir-Fry
adapted from Bon Appetit, via Epicurious
serves 4 to 6

1 pound flank steak or stir-fry  meat
3 tablespoons water
7 tablespoons canola oil
4 tablespoons soy sauce
8 teaspoons cornstarch

6 tablespoons plus 1 cup canned low-salt chicken broth
1/4 c. white wine
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
4 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon sugar

2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
4 garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press
2 large heads of broccoli, cut into florets (stems discarded)
1 pound mushrooms, sliced
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
Brown rice, for serving

1. Cut steak with grain into 2-inch-wide pieces, then slice thinly across grain. Combine 3 tablespoons water, 2 tablespoons canola oil, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, and 2 teaspoons cornstarch in large bowl. Add steak and stir to coat. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes.

2. Combine 6 tablespoons broth, remaining 2 tablespoons soy sauce, and 2 tablespoons cornstarch, wine, and next 3 ingredients in small bowl, stirring to dissolve cornstarch completely.

3. Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in wok or heavy large skillet over high heat. Add steak with marinade and stir-fry until no longer pink, about 2 minutes. Transfer to platter. Add 2 tablespoons vegetable oil to wok. Add ginger and garlic stir until aromatic, about 30 seconds. Add broccoli and stir-fry 1 minute. Add 1 cup broth. Cover, reduce heat and simmer 2 1/2 minutes or until just crisp tender. Transfer broccoli to bowl and return work to high heat. Add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil to wok. Add mushrooms; cook 2 to 3 minutes. Return steak and broccoli to wok. Stir sauce, add to wok and stir until sauce thickens, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Transfer mixture to platter and sprinkle with red pepper flakes, if desired. Serve immediately with steamed rice.