Recipe: Spicy Chinese Greens

I made this as a side dish on Tuesday night and it was a big hit with the roomie and my date.  It's very simple and cooks really fast.

Ingredients:

1 bunch of collard, mustard, or other bitter greens (I used collard) - chopped, about 4 cups
1 1/2 cups of maitake or other fancy wild mushrooms, loosely chopped
1 leek, finely chopped
2 red jalapenos, finely chopped
2 tbsp. minced garlic
2 1/2 tbsp. oyster sauce
2 tbsp. of canola oil
1/2 cup dry sherry

Directions:

Heat the oil in a wok over medium-high heat.  Add the garlic, leeks, and jalapenos, sauteing until the leeks start to become translucent, about 10 minutes.  Deglaze the wok with the dry sherry and add the mushrooms, cooking until the mushrooms soften, about 3 - 4 minutes.  Add the collard greens and cover the wok to allow the greens to wilt, about 3 - 4 minutes.  Remove the cover and continue cooking until all the greens are fully wilted, but only just past the wilting point (you want the greens to still be a little crunchy).  Add the oyster sauce and saute for another 1 - 2 minutes, stirring everything together frequently.  Serve immediately.

Makes 4 side dish portions.

Recipe: Spicy Shrimp and Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground chicken

1/2 lb. peeled and deveined shrimp

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 bunch of spinach, loosely chopped

3 tbsp. minced garlic

1/2 tsp. white pepper

2 tsp. red pepper flakes

2 tsp. lemon zest

1 tsp. sea salt

1 1/2 tbsp. sugar

1/3 cup dark soy sauce

1/4 cup dry sherry

1 head of magenta or other leafy lettuce, washed and left as whole leaves

2 tbsp. canola or other neutral oil

Directions:

In a large wok or stir fry pan, heat the oil over medium high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the garlic and bell pepper. Cover and cook for 3 - 4 minutes until the peppers are soft. Add the ground chicken. Add the dry spices, lemon zest, and sugar. Cook for approx. 7 - 8 minutes, stirring frequently until chicken is fully cooked. Add the shrimp and cook for approximately 1 - 2 minutes until shrimp are pink. Add the soy sauce and sherry and combine. Add the spinach, recover and cook for 4 - 5 minutes until the spinach wilts. Uncover, stir well, reduce heat to medium low, and cook for an additional 10 minutes to reduce. Serve with the lettuce leaves.

Makes 4 - 5 dinner servings or 8 - 10 appetizer servings.