K’s Kitchen: Moo-shu without the meat

By Kathryn Reed

This is one of those dishes I have no idea why I don’t fix more often. It’s easier to make than it sounds.

This is one of three dishes I made last month when my sister and her boyfriend came to visit.

While this is a vegetarian recipe, it could easily be made with meat. It comes from the cookbook “Passionate Vegetarian” by Crescent Dragonwagon.

I use wonton wrappers for the crepes. The leftover wrappers freeze well.

For the hoisin, I think it’s better to start with a pretty full jar and let everyone use as much as they want.

All the notes below are from Dragonwagon.

Moo-Shu Vegetables (serves 4 as an entrée)

Traditionally, this Mandarin dish, an American Chinese restaurant standard, is made with shredded meat, chicken, or duck combined with stir-fried vegetables and scrambled eggs, wrapped in a rather dense, steamed hoisin-slathered pancake. I much prefer this lighter version, with its tofu-studded, full-flavored sprout-vegetable filling, and its delicious Neo-Classic Crepe wrapping. If – and I realize that this is a big if – you have crepes made or crepe batter on hand, as well as commercially made hoisin sauce and black bean-garlic sauce, it is but 10 to 15 minutes work to put together a dazzling, satisfying dinner.

2 tsp cornstarch

1/3 C water, preferably spring or filtered, or vegetable stock

2½ tsp sugar, honey, or Rapidura

2 tsp fermented black bean-garlic sauce

1½ tsp toasted sesame oil

Pinch of salt

2 good grinds of black pepper

2½ tsp mild vegetable oil, preferably peanut

3 clove garlic, lightly smashed

2 tsp peeled, finely diced ginger

2 large scallions, roots and wilted green parts removed, all the white and 3 inches of green thinly sliced

1 carrot, well scrubbed, julienned

5 or 6 shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, slivered

1 stalk bok choy, both stems and leaves, slivered

4 ounces conventional water-packed tofu, cut into ¼-inch dice

12 Neo-Classic Crepes

About 3 T any good, commercially prepared hoisin sauce

Combine the cornstarch with the water in a small bowl and smush with your fingers until dissolved. Add the sugar, black bean-garlic sauce, ½ teaspoon of the sesame oil, salt, and pepper. Place the bowl close to the stove, along with the remaining ingredients.

Heat a wok over high heat until very hot. Add the vegetable oil and tilt the wok to coat with oil. Heat for another 15 seconds. Add the garlic and ginger, stir one or twice, and count to 10. Add the scallions and carrot and stir-fry to the count of 10. Add the shiitakes and stir-fry for another 15 seconds. Add the bean sprouts and bok choy and count to 20. Give the cornstarch mixture a quick stir and add it along with the tofu and remaining sesame oil. Stir-fry until all of the mixture is coated with the thickened sauce, 10 to 25 seconds more. Taste and adjust with more soy, sweetener, pepper, or whatever you like.

Immediately rush the hot stir-fry to the table. Generously coat half of each crepe with hoisin sauce and scoop a portion of the vegetable mixture into the pancake. Fold and serve.