If your holidays were anything like ours, you’re ready to clean out the fridge and detox with some fresh veggies and bright greens. Feel free to substitute any vegetables you’d like; just be sure to cook spongy vegetables like mushrooms or eggplant first and set them aside for later. Then reheat the wok with new oil and stir-fry the other water-releasing vegetables until tender. Marry everything together at the end and enjoy a light meal as you bid farewell to 2013.
Vegetable Stir-Fry 4 Servings
2 Tbsp. grapeseed or canola oil, divided
2 tsp. dark sesame oil, divided
2 cups mushrooms, sliced
1 Thai chili pepper
Kosher salt to taste
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. ginger, minced
2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
2 celery ribs, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
2 cups Napa cabbage, sliced in strips
5 green onions, sliced
¼ cup mirin
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 cups cooked rice
• Place a stainless-steel wok on a large burner over high heat until the wok begins to smoke. Add 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil and 1 teaspoon sesame oil.
• Add the mushrooms and the Thai chili pepper and season with salt. Stir quickly, cooking several minutes until tender. Remove the mushrooms and set aside.
• Return the wok to the high heat and when it smokes again, add the remaining oils. Saute the garlic and ginger, stirring quickly so they do not burn. Add the carrots and celery, season with salt, and stir several minutes until tender.
• Continue stirring and add the red peppers and cabbage. When the cabbage begins to wilt, drizzle with the mirin.
• Stir in the green onions, then toss the cooked mushrooms back into the wok. Season with soy sauce, salt and pepper.
• Serve immediately over rice.
Bok Choy Salad 4 Servings
8 heads baby bok choy, rinsed
5 green onions, sliced
1 Tbsp. plus 2 tsp. dark sesame oil
1 tsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. Sriracha
1 to 2 tsp. rice wine vinegar
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• Trim the ends of the bok choy and break the larger leaves into bite-sized pieces. Rinse thoroughly and dry in a salad spinner.
• Place the bok choy and and sliced green onions in a large salad bowl and toss with the with sesame oil until the leaves are well-coated. Add the soy sauce, Sriracha and rice wine vinegar and toss to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
This article appears in December 2013.