Napa or Chinese cabbage seems to be at it’s best this time of the year so here are three very quick and easy stir fry recipes that make use of it-

Spices for making Chinese five spice powder-

Napa cabbage is very different from the red and green cabbage you normally find at the grocery store. It is much more tender and mellow. It’s flavor is more like a mild celery than cabbage with nutty undertones and it doesn’t develop that sulfurous stench when cooked. It also keeps well once chopped and does not develop those black moldy looking spots as long as it is refrigerated.

*These recipes are loosely based on recipes from Elaine Luo’s cooking blog- www.chinasichuanfood.com – if you would like to find more authentic Chinese recipes check it out.

*The actual cooking process for this recipe is very quick- so it’s much easier to have everything prepped and ready to go.

*Chinese black vinegar, or chinkiang vinegar, is a dark, malty vinegar made from rice and wheat. It tastes very similar to a Flemish sour red ale without the bubbles.  If Chinese black vinegar is unavailable a mixture of regular rice vinegar and a balsamic vinegar, or Flemish sour or smoky brown ale is a pretty close substitute.

*Bok Choy can be used in place of Napa Cabbage. Whichever Chinese cabbage you are using the greens will cook much faster than the white rib portions- so to keep them from getting mushy they should be added just before removing from heat.

Vegetables:  Szechuan-Style Cabbage Stir fry

*Doubanjiang is a paste made from fermented fava beans (broad beans), hot chilies, salt and spices. There is really nothing quite like a quality Doubanjiang but a mixture of Sichuan Chili Oil and regular Chinese Black Bean Paste will make an effective substitute.

• 1 tbsp each Chinese Black Vinegar, Chinese Cooking Wine and light soy sauce
• 2 tsp each sugar (opt) and starch
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp sea salt (or to taste)
• 3-4 green onions, sliced thin on the bias
• 1-2 cloves garlic
• 3-5 slices of fresh ginger
• 1 tbsp Doubanjiang (fermented broad bean and chili paste)- pref from Pu Xian region
• ½ tsp Chinese Five Spice powder (or to taste)
• 1-3 dried Thai red chilies crushed in a mortar and pestle
• Vegetable oil (pref sesame oil) as needed for coating pan
• 1 head Napa Cabbage, sliced thin with white portions separated from the greens
• Additional light soy sauce, ground Szechuan Pepper and thinly slices green onions to garnish

1. In a small bowl mix vinegar, wine, soy sauce, sugar (if using), starch, sesame oil and sea salt. Sauce should be about the color of lightly creamed coffee. Set aside.
2. In a second bowl crush the white portions of green onions as well as the garlic and ginger slices to a paste and mix thoroughly. Set aside.
3. In a mortar and pestle mash up the Doubanjiang and stir in the Five Spice powder and Thai chilies. Set aside.
4. In a wok or deep sauté or frying pan heat oil over medium. When nice and hot add the onion/garlic/ginger paste and sauté 30 sec or so until the raw garlic smell goes away. Add Doubanjiang/chili/ Five Spice mixture and sauté for another minute or until the reddish oil begins to separate from the pastes.
5. Add the sliced up white portions of the cabbage, turn heat up to medium-high, stir for a minute and then add the sauce.  Continue cooking  for a minute or two until sauce thickens and turns translucent. Stir in green portions of cabbage and remove from heat.
6. Serve hot with steamed rice and garnish with remaining green onion slices and a drizzle of soy sauce.

Pasta:  Chili Sesame Noodles

*If alkaline noodles are unavailable vermicelli or thin spaghetti will work. Tahini paste will work as sesame paste.

• ½ lb alkaline noodles
• 2 tsp sesame oil
• 2 tbsp sesame paste
• 1 tbsp each Chinese Black Vinegar, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce and warm water
• 1 tsp Chinese five spice powder
• 1 tsp sea salt (or to taste)
• Vegetable oil as needed for coating pan
• 1 tbsp Chinese chili oil
• 1-2 cloves garlic, crushed to a paste
• 3-5 leaves Napa Cabbage, sliced thin with white portions separated from the greens
• Crisp fried soybeans or toasted peanuts, additional light soy sauce and thinly sliced green onions to garnish

1. Cook noodles in salted water until al dente. Drain, toss with a tsp of sesame oil (so they don’t glue themselves together) and set aside.
2. In a small bowl stir remaining sesame oil, vinegar, soy sauces and water one by one into the sesame paste until it is thick and creamy. Add the salt and five spice powder and set aside.
3. In a large wok, deep sauté or frying pan heat cooking and chili oils oil over medium. When nice and hot add the garlic paste and sauté 30 sec or so until the raw garlic smell goes away.
4. Add the sliced up white portions of the cabbage, turn heat up to medium-high, stir for a minute then push the cabbage to the sides of the pan. Add the sesame sauce, cook for a minute then stir in the noodles.
5. Mix everything together and cook for a minute or so until the noodles are nice and hot. Stir in green portions of cabbage and remove from heat.
6. Serve hot garnished with fried soybeans or toasted peanuts, a drizzle of soy sauce and green onions.

Pasta:  Egg Fried Noodles In Black Bean Sauce

*Douchi are salted, fermented and spiced black soybeans. Douchi smells strangely chocolate-like with a very salty, savory flavor. There is really nothing quite like them but if you mix up some regular canned black beans with ginger, Chinese five spice powder, a lot of salt and cocoa powder it actually smells and tastes roughly similar.

*If alkaline noodles are unavailable plain ramen noodles, vermicelli or thin spaghetti will work. You can also use quinoa pasta- but you will want to rinse the noodles off after cooking as they tend to glue themselves together after draining.

• ½ lb alkaline noodles
• 2 tbsp sesame oil – or as needed
• 1 tbsp Douchi (fermented and spiced black soybeans)
• 1 tbsp each Chinese black vinegar, light soy sauce and dark soy sauce.
• ½ tsp Chinese five spice powder (or to taste)
• 1-2 Thai chilies, broken coarsely (opt)
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 1-2 cloves garlic, crushed to a paste
• 1-2 slices ginger root, mashed to a paste
• 1 lb shiitake mushrooms, sliced thin
• 3-5 leaves Napa Cabbage, sliced thin with white portions separated from the greens
• ¼ tsp sea salt (or to taste)
• Additional light soy sauce and thinly sliced green onions to garnish

1. Cook noodles in salted water until al dente. Drain, toss with a tsp of sesame oil (so they don’t glue themselves together) and set aside.
2. In a mortar and pestle mash up the douchi. Add a tsp of sesame oil, the vinegar, soy sauces and spices and mix everything together into a thin paste. Set aside.
3. In a large wok, deep sauté or frying pan heat a tbsp of sesame oil over medium. When nice and hot pour the beaten eggs into the pan. Let them sit for a minute until they begin to set up then break them up with a spoon and fry until just cooked.
4. Push eggs pieces to the sides of the pan and pour another tbsp or so of oil into the center of the pan. Add the garlic and ginger and sauté 30 sec or so until the raw garlic smell goes away.
5. Add the mushrooms and white portions of the cabbage, turn heat up to medium-high, stir for a minute or so then push the cabbage to the sides of the pan.
6. Add the black bean sauce, cook for a minute then stir in the noodles.
7. Mix everything together and cook for a minute or so until the noodles are nice and hot. Stir in green portions of cabbage and remove from heat.
8. Serve hot garnished with a drizzle of soy sauce and green onions.