Dinner in Minutes deliciously delivers what it promises--interesting meals ready in nearly no time when you follow Linda Gassenheimer's efficient methods. Derived from Gassenheimer's "Dinner in Minutes" newspaper column, this book's complete approach to cooking includes keeping the pantry stocked with rice, raisins, assorted vinegars, and other useful basics, and buying the remaining fresh ingredients for several meals at a time.
Every time I go into my friend Binh Duong's Vietnamese restaurants, either in Hartford, Connecticut, or Boca Ratan, Florida, he insists on making me his favorite dishes. Over the year, this one has become one of my favorites too. Crisp noodles are topped with fragrant stir-fried beef and vegetables.
SHOPPING LIST 1 pound flank, skirt or lean sirloin steak
1 pound bok choy or Chinese cabbage
8 scallions
2 yellow, red or green bell peppers
1-inch piece fresh ginger
1 small jar Chinese chili paste with garlic or a mixture of garlic and hot pepper sauce
3/4 pound angel-hair pasta or thin egg noodles
2 medium yellow, red or green bell peppers, sliced (about 2 cups)
Crispy Noodle Cake: Preheat boiler. Line a baking tray with foil and spray with vegetable-oil cooking spray. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add noodles. As soon as water returns to a boil, drain noodles and rinse under cold water. Shake dry and spread out evenly on the baking tray. Sprinkle oil over noodles and spray with vegetable-oil cooking spray. Place noodles on the middle rack of the oven. Keep an eye on them as you prepare the beef. When noodles are crisp, after about 10 minutes, remove and flip onto other side. Spray with oil again and return to broiler for another 5 minutes. To serve, cut noodles into 4 portions with sharp scissors or a knife and transfer to individual plates. Cut each cake into 2-inch squares. Spoon beef, vegetables and sauce on top.
Helpful Hint: The noodles will need to be turned. The easiest way to do this is to loosen them on the tray all around the edges, cut into 4 sections and, with a spatula, flip each section.
Vietnamese Stir-Fried Beef and Bok Choy: Bok Choy looks a little like Swiss chard, with large green leaves at the top. It is available in most supermarkets. Chinese cabbage may be substituted.
For sauce: Mix all ingredients together.
For beef and bok choy: Remove fat from beef. Slice into 1/2-inch-wide strips 2 to 3 inches long. Wash and dry bok choy. Slice on the diagonal into 1-inch pieces. Slice scallions on the diagonal.
Heat wok and add oil. Add half the garlic and half the ginger and fry until golden, about 30 seconds. Add bok choy, scallions and peppers and stir-fry until wilted but still crunchy, about 2 minutes. Remove to a warm serving plate. Add remaining garlic and ginger to wok and stir-fry until golden, about 30 seconds.
Add beef and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Remove to plate with vegetables. Add sauce to wok and stir to prevent lumping. Heat until sauce bubbles. Add vegetables and beef to sauce and toss several times. Remove wok from heat. Spoon over noodles and serve immediately.
Helpful Hints: Chili paste with garlic can be found in the Asian-products section of some supermarkets or in specialty food stores. If you cannot find it, substitute and extra teaspoon crushed garlic and several drops of hot pepper sauce.
Boneless, skinless chicken breast, shrimp or pork tenderloin may be substituted for the beef in this recipe.
A quick way to prepare ginger is to peel, cut into chunks and press through a garlic press with large holes.
