Mu Shu Vegetables

I just updated our recipe index for the blog and realized that we may need another category for wraps—I think we’ve posted at least 7 or 8 dishes that involve some sort of wrap.  I’ve talked about my love for wraps before, and today’s recipe is another sign of my proclivity for delicious wrapped foods.

Many Chinese restaurants that we’ve been to feature Mu Shu (or Moo Shu) on their menus, and I am always drawn to it.  Graham and I typically share dishes when we go out to Chinese food and he always asks if there is something new that we should try on the menu. I always seem to insist on the tried and true mu shu vegetable dish though.

For those of you that may not be familiar with mu shu, it usually involves some sort of wrap or pancake that is topped with a little hoisin sauce and lots of flavorful vegetables mixed with a little scrambled egg.  The filling is wrapped up in the pancake and you are left with a savory, sweet and satisfying little bundle of scrumptiousness.  Give it a try the next time you are out for Chinese or better yet, make it yourself at home, which is what we did last week.  It turned out pretty well – see the recipe below…!

Mu Shu Vegetables

Filling

In my experience, shredded cabbage is usually one of the main ingredients in mu shu. For this dish, I decided to use the vegetables I had on hand and some I found at the farmers market.  You can experiment with different combinations.

• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons sesame or peanut oil, divided
• 5-6 baby carrots, thinly sliced
• 1 lb. green beans, thinly sliced
• 1 bunch green onions, white part and some of the green thinly sliced
• 4 baby bok choy, thinly sliced
• Hoisin sauce (I used Soy Vay Hoisin Garlic Sauce, but any tasty hoisin sauce will probably work)
• Soy sauce
• 6-7 basil leaves, roughly chopped

In a small bowl, beat the eggs until the whites and yolks are well incorporated.  Stir in about 1 teaspoon of soy sauce.  Heat a little sesame or peanut oil in a non-stick skillet over low heat.  When the oil is hot, add the eggs.  Let the eggs cook until the bottom just starts to set.  Use a spatula to stir the eggs around.  Continue to gently stir and turn the eggs until there are no uncooked parts remaining.  Use a spatula to move the eggs out of the skillet and into a bowl.  Set aside while you cook the vegetables.

Blanch the sliced baby carrots and green beans.  The carrots and green beans should still be pretty crisp, so don’t cook them in the boiling water for more than a minute or two.  (Here are some good instructions if you’ve never blanched vegetables before).  Set aside.

In a large skillet or wok, heat about a tablespoon of sesame or peanut oil.  Add sliced onions and cook for a few minutes.  Add the blanched carrots and green beans and the bok choy and continue cooking for 4-5 minutes.  Add the cooked eggs and stir in about 2 tablespoons or so of hoisin sauce and about 1 tablespoon of soy sauce.  You can adjust the amount of sauce to your taste. Sprinkle with chopped basil leaves and cook for one more minute.

To serve, spread a small amount of hoisin sauce onto a warm crepe/pancake (see recipe below). Top with about ¼ to ½ cup of the filling and fold the crepe like a burrito. 

Crepes/Pancakes

Adapted from Local Flavors: Cooking and Eating from America’s Farmers’ Markets

• 3 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
• 1 cup of water
• ¾ cup of milk (I used almond milk)
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup all-purpose flour

In a blender on high speed, combine the eggs, oil, water, milk, and salt (I put the ingredients into a bowl used an immersion blender).  Add about half of the flour and blend briefly and then add the rest of the flour and blend until just combined.  Set the batter aside for a few minutes to rest (I put mine in the fridge for 20-30 minutes). 

Heat a non-stick skillet (about 7.5 inches at the base) and spread a little vegetable oil in the bottom of the pan (Please make sure the pan is truly non-stick—it can be a nightmare making crepes in a “sticky” pan).  When the oil is hot add about 1/3 cup of batter to the pan and swirl it so that it covers the bottom of the pan.  Cook about 1 minute or until golden on the bottom and then carefully flip the crepe with a spatula.  Cook for another minute or so on the other side.   Repeat until all of the batter is gone.  Crepes can be kept warm in the oven or refrigerated and reheated later.

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