What to Make & Eat This Week

It's cold, it's snowy, it's gloomy ... let's cook!

The holidays already seem like a faint memory, yet New Year’s Day was a mere 2.5 weeks ago. In the winter especially, it seems like time goes both slowly and quickly due to the sameness of the days.

What helps is to do something a little different each day, and at this time of year, something comforting is best. It’s Sunday and it’s going to snow, so today I’m going to do a favorite bad-weather ritual I call “in bed with books,” which is exactly what it sounds like.

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And I’m going to cook today, of course, starting the week with the first recipe below (fingers crossed it will yield some leftovers). Which of these recipes speak to you?

This week, we’ll be making …

• Gingery Bok Choy Fried Rice

• Easy Asian Noodle Bowls with Avocado & Baked Tofu

• Moroccan Lentil and Chickpea Soup (Harira)

• Garlic Roasted Parsnips and Carrots

And for this week’s bonus recipe, I’ll be directing you to a roundup of vegan date energy balls and truffles.

Gingery Bok Choy Fried Rice

Here’s an easy recipe filled with colorful vegetables. Use whatever type of bok choy you prefer— the kind with the large white stalks and dark green leaves, or any size/variety of baby bok choy.

If you have your rice cooked ahead of time, this dish is super quick to make. Serve it with your favorite simple tofu, tempeh, or seitan dish.

This recipe makes 4 to 6 servings. For more tips and the printable recipe card, see the full post.

Ingredients

• 1 cup raw rice (white or brown Basmati or jasmine work well)

• 1 tablespoon neutral vegetable oil

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 6 to 8 stalks large white bok choy, stalks sliced thinly, leaves chopped, or 4 medium baby bok choy, sliced thinly crosswise (either option well rinsed)

• 1 medium red bell pepper, cut into short narrow strips

• 1/2 cup frozen green peas, thawed

• 15-ounce can baby corn, drained

• 3 to 4 scallions, white and green parts, sliced

• 2 to 3 teaspoons grated fresh or bottled ginger, to taste

• 2 teaspoons dark sesame oil

• 2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari, or more to taste

• Freshly ground pepper to taste

• Dried hot red pepper flakes or gochugaru to taste, optional

Instructions

1. In a medium saucepan, combine brown rice with 2 3/4 cups water or white rice with 2 1/4 cups. Bring to a slow boil, then lower the heat. Cover and simmer gently until the water is absorbed, about 30 minutes for brown and 20 minutes for white. If the rice isn’t done to your liking, add 1/2 cup more water and cook until absorbed; repeat as needed.

2. About 10 minutes before the rice is done, heat the oil in a stir-fry pan. Add the garlic, bok choy, and bell pepper and stir-fry over medium-high heat for 2 to 3 minutes.

3. Add the peas, baby corn, and scallions, and continue to stir-fry for 1 to 2 minutes, just until heated through.

4. Stir in the cooked rice and ginger. Drizzle in the sesame oil and soy sauce, and stir well to combine. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, over high heat for 4 to 5 minutes longer.

5. Season with pepper, hot red pepper flakes, and additional soy sauce if needed, then serve.