This dish is perfect as a side, salad or for potluck because it can be served hot, at room temperature or cold. The recipe is adapted from Madhur Jaffrey’s Easy East/West Menus for Family and Friends by Madhur Jaffrey.
Serves 6
2 Tbls. Dijon mustard
2 Tbls. red wine vinegar
2 tsp. finely grated fresh ginger
1 tsp. kosher salt, or to taste
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
6 Tbls. good olive oil
2 lbs. green beans, trimmed but left whole
freshly ground pepper, to taste
Bring a pot of water to boil.
Put the mustard, vinegar, ginger, salt, and cayenne in a small bowl and mix. Slowly add the olive oil stirring with a fork as you do.
Place the beans in the boiling water. Boil rapidly for 3-4 minutes, until the beans are just cooked but still crisp. Drain, place beans in a big bowl, and mix with the dressing.
This is one of those delicious meals that only takes a few minutes to cook up once you have a little bit of the prep work out of the way. We have made it twice, but still don’t have a photo because it was immediately eaten. Crispy green beans (so fresh and good right now) and baby bok choy mixed in a large, heavy pan with udon noodles and topped with golden tofu or meat, drizzled with a bit more sauce and finished with lots of thinly sliced butterhead lettuce.
Tip: Tofu is 90 percent water. It must be pressed before being sautéed if you want it to remain in larger pieces and get nice and brown. The best way to remove the water is to wrap the tofu in a layer or two of dry towel and press it to remove an initial amount of water. Keeping it covered, place something heavy on top of the tofu (i.e., use a chopping block or the heavy saute pan) and let the last bit of water drain from the tofu. You can leave it to sit and drain like this for a bit of time.
This recipe is loosely written. Feel free to play around with ingredients and measurements.
Serves 4-5
Big handful of green beans
4 to 5 heads of baby bok choy
About 1 lb. udon noodles
2-3 Tbls. oil (we prefer sesame)
About 4-5 Tbls soy sauce
1 Tbls. rice vinegar
Thumb-size piece of ginger, sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
Tofu or meat if adding
Butterhead lettuce
Set a large cast iron pan or wok on high heat. Add oil then add tofu and cook to brown on each side. Turn gently as you cook, trying not to break up the tofu. Remove from pan and place on a plate with a paper towel. Add beans and chopped bok choy. Cook until it softens a bit, and then add soy sauce, garlic, and ginger. Turn down heat. Cook noodles. Add to pan and mix with beans and bok choy. Add a little more soy sauce and sesame oil if needed. Top with tofu or grilled meat and thinly sliced butterhead lettuce. Finish with a squeeze of lemon juice and Sriracha sauce.
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