Here’s what food bloggers don’t discuss this time of year: What you eat before Thanksgiving. In the days leading up to the Day of Gluttony, it’s a challenge to figure out what to do for dinner. You want to physically and mentally prepare for the food-fest, sort of buy your right to pig-out with a few days of salads beforehand. So allow me to play contrarian and not post a Thanksgiving recipe the day before Thanksgiving. My stomach isn’t ready for it yet. Instead, let me tell you about the light tummy-prepping recipe I cooked up last night for Sea Bean Stir Fry with Oyster Mushrooms, Bok Choy and Yuzu.
One of the perks of moving down to San Diego is that this town is a home chef’s paradise. I spent yesterday wandering through Specialty Produce, a wholesale produce restaurant supply warehouse open to the public that has everything you could want, and many things you’ve never heard of. It’s where I found my oyster mushrooms, yuzu (a Japanese citrus that’s like a grapefruit/meyer lemon), bok choy, and – sea beans.
Sea beans are fascinating. They’re a succulent that grows in saltwater marshes and they taste salty. In fact, when you use them in a recipe, you don’t need to add any salt – it’s there! But they also have a deliciously addictive crispness and an almost asparagus-like flavor. They come under many names: in America, they’re sea beans. In other places, they’re called glasswort, pickleweed, and marsh samphire. The English steam them with butter. Sri Lankans use them to feed donkeys.
I used my sea bean stir fry recipe as a side dish for Tequila-Lime Salmon, though this recipe would go incredibly well with any type of seafood and/or oyster mushrooms. The saltiness of the sea beans compliments fish incredibly well, as does the tangy-sweet yuzu.
Sea Bean Stir Fry with Oyster Mushrooms, Bok Choy and Yuzu
Ingredients:
- 1 tsp olive oil
- Oyster mushrooms
- 1 Lb Sea beans
- 2 yuzu (zest of 1, juice of 1 1/2) substitute: meyer lemons
- 1/4 tsp crushed garlic (or to taste)
- 2 bok choy
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and add the oyster mushrooms and garlic. While the mushrooms are cooking (browning on the sides is fine), zest one of the yuzus.
- Once the mushrooms are tender and lightly browned, add the bok choy and yuzu zest. Cook until bok choy is slightly tender but with stalks that are still on the crisp side. You don’t want floppy bok choy!
- Toss the sea beans with juice from 1 yuzu, and when the bok choy is almost ready, toss the sea beans into the skillet. Sea beans are best when they’re still crisp, which is why I throw them in last. Cook until the sea beans are thoroughly hot but still retain their color.
- Before serving, squeeze another half of a yuzu over the stir fry.
What are you eating the day BEFORE Thanksgiving? Tell me in the comments section, and if you link to your latest foodie/travel post, I’ll share it on Facebook this week!