Stir-fried bok choy, green onion pancakes, fried rice

Last night, out of a wish to create a meal that suited the bok choy - not a vegetable we typically buy, but a delicious one nonetheless - I put together an assortment of Chinese dishes. All were definitely worth making again, and (though P might disagree) were better than what we order from Chinese take-out.

Because the green onion pancakes (see Dorie Greenspan's blog for the recipe) require three 30-minute long resting periods, I started on those first. Honestly, the dough smelled a little like homemade Play-Doh, so I was skeptical that it would work out to be anything tasty - but forged ahead anyway. Also, while Dorie blithely instructs you to stir the mixture of flour, salt, oil, and boiling water together and then knead it, she apparently has hands of asbestos, since the mixture is really, really hot (go figure!). As the recipes makes a lot more pancakes than P and I should realistically eat, I'm going to try freezing one of two of the leftovers to see how well they reheat. If that doesn't work, I'll try it with some of the uncooked, but fully-prepared, dough the next time I make the recipe.

The effort was worth it, though - the green onions and the sesame oil gave the pancakes terrific flavor, as did the frying process. Word to the wise: use tongs to flip the pancakes, unless you're really agile with a spatula. I splattered oil all over the stove and onto my hand - though what is a good night of cooking without burning myself a little?

While the pancakes waited for us in a low oven, I made the fried rice, and P made the bok choy.

Stir-Fried Boy Choy
from
The Food of China: A Journey for Food Lovers
recipes by Deh-Ta Hsiung & Nina Simonds

1 bunch bok choy
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 garlic cloves, smashed with the flat side of a cleaver
3 thin slices of ginger, smashed with the flat side of a cleaver
3 tablespoons chicken stock
1 teaspoon sugar
light soy sauce, to taste
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

Cut the bok choy into 5 - 8 cm (2 - 3 inch) lengths. Trim off any roots that may hold the pieces together, then wash well and dry thoroughly.

Heat a wok over high heat, add the oil and heat until very hot. Stir-fry the garlic and ginger for 30 seconds. Add the bok choy and stir-fry until it begins to wilt, then add the stock and sugar and season with the soy sauce. Simmer, covered, for 2 minutes, or until the stems and leaves are tender but still green. Add the sesame oil and serve hot.
For the fried rice, I used a recipe from Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything, leaving out the green onions because we'd used them all for the pancakes. Here's my modified version (I also used less oil):

Shrimp Fried Rice
adapted from How To Cook Everything: Simple Recipes for Great Food
by Mark Bittman

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon peeled and minced fresh ginger
3 cups leftover rice (I made mine while the dough rested, and then put it in the refrigerator to cool)
1 cup shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 cup frozen peas, heated mostly through
2 eggs
2 tablespoons soy sauce

Heat the oil in a wok or skillet to high. Add the garlic and ginger and stir constantly for 1 minute, until they are fragrant, but the garlic has not burned or browned more than a tiny bit.

Turn the heat down a bit, and add the rice. (You may not need to turn the heat down if your "high" on your stove doesn't run super hot.) Break it up so that it's not in big clumps. Stir frequently for 3 - 4 minutes.

Make a hole in the center of the rice and pour the eggs into it. Scramble the eggs, gradually incorporating them in the rice. Add the shrimp and peas. Cook until the shrimp are cooked through. If you can cover the pan, this will help cook the shrimp more quickly.

Add the soy sauce and stir so soy sauce is distributed throughout the rice. Serve immediately.