The Kitchen and I Are Not Always Friends
The Kitchen and I Are Not Always Friends
Zero-meat, zero-fuss meals for the most manic time of the year
Wow. After cooking a…successful—I should say, I was really pleased with it!—Thanksgiving meal and consuming so much rich food, I feel sort of like I did when lockdown ended, i.e., pretty freaking uninspired by the kitchen and everything that lives in there (which is not my norm).
In these moments of cooking despair, I tend to go easy on myself (self-care, baby)—I don’t want to plan much, I don’t want anything complicated, and I want to make as few trips to the grocery store as possible.
Mark’s most recent book, the revised and updated How to Cook Everything Fast, has been a salve for many of us, so in the spirit of uncomplicated, I present you with some more goodies from that tome (all meat-free):
Hot and Sour Black Beans With Bok Choy,
Red Lentils and Fennel over Toasted Flatbread Triangles,
Hummus and Vegetable Pita Pockets,
and Spinach Carbonara.
We’ve overlapped a few ingredients like pita and spinach to make shopping easier. All recipes serve four and take around 30 minutes.
In the comments, feel free to share your go-to between-the-holidays meal.
And WHO KNOWS, maybe one or all of these recipes will help us — me? — all feel a bit more inspired again — until the next feast of epic proportions.
Hot and Sour Black Beans With Bok Choy
Ingredients
3 1/2 cups cooked or canned black beans (2 15-ounce cans)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon red chile flakes
Pepper
3 tablespoons good quality vegetable oil
1 large head bok choy (1 1/2 pounds)
2 cloves garlic
Salt
Instructions
If you’re using canned beans, rinse and drain them. Put the beans in a medium bowl.
1. Add 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon sesame oil, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1/2 teaspoon red chile flakes, and a good amount of pepper. Toss to combine.
2. Put 3 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
Trim the bok choy and chop it crosswise into thin ribbons.
3. Add the bok choy to the skillet and raise the heat to medium-high. Cook, stirring occasionally, until it starts to soften, 3 to 5 minutes.
Peel and chop 2 cloves of garlic.
4.Add the garlic to the bok choy. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the leaves are completely tender but the stems still have some crunch, 3 or 4 minutes.
5. Stir in the beans and all of the marinade and cook, stirring to combine, just until the beans are warmed through, 3 to 4 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning and serve.
