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The Kitchen and I Are Not Always Friends

www.bittmanproject.com
Cheap Dinners

The Kitchen and I Are Not Always Friends

Zero-meat, zero-fuss meals for the most manic time of the year

Kate Bittman
Nov 29, 2022
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The Kitchen and I Are Not Always Friends

www.bittmanproject.com
Red Lentils and Fennel Over Toasted Flatbread Triangles, Photo: Jim Henkens

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.

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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.

Hot And Sour Black Beans With Bok Choy
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Red Lentils and Fennel Over Toasted Flatbread Triangles

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