Have you ever had days when the hours flash by so quickly that by the time you’ve stopped spinning and finally have the chance to catch your breath, you realize that you’ve been running on fumes and that you are now officially…HANGRY?  Considering that I do not have that many mouths to feed (yet), this worries me a little…how am I going to feed co-dependents not so keen on fumes for sustenance?

All silliness aside, I have slowly been working on my repertoire of quick meals, precisely for these HANGRY times.  It also helps to be less than 10 minutes from a decent grocery store with organic produce.  Even in NYC, I was among the few denizens who did not routinely order delivery, to the consternation of my roommates.

One of the items I always have in my pantry is miso.  Made from fermented soybeans, miso is chock full of protein, vitamins, and minerals and adds a salty, sweet, earthy, and savory dimension to sauces, marinades, and soups.  It lends itself well to both traditional and modern cooking, and is extremely versatile.  I used it to make a quick side dish to pair with my Pan-Seared Sake Sea Bass the other night, and it made one hangry MD much happier after a long day.

Miso Butter Glazed Mushrooms

Ingredients:

• 1 tsp butter
• 16 oz variety of mushrooms – wiped clean and sliced if larger (e.g. crimini, oyster, shiitake)
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced with white and green parts divided
• 1 tbl white (shiro) miso
• 1/2 tbl water
• 1 tsp sugar
• 2 tsp sesame oil

Instructions:

1. Heat well-seasoned wok over medium heat.
2. Melt 1 tsp butter and stir-fry white scallion parts and mushrooms, allowing some time between stirs for the mushrooms to get some color.
3. Combine miso, water, and sugar.  Add to mushroom and white scallion mixture, tossing to coat.  Sauce will thicken slightly.
4. Drizzle with 1-2 tsp sesame oil, toss in sliced green scallions, and remove from heat.  Serve immediately.

Pan-Seared Sake Sea Bass with Ginger and Scallions (serves 2)

Ingredients:

• 8 oz sea bass filet
• 2 tbl canola oil
• Kosher salt
• Pepper
• 3 1/4-inch slices of ginger
• 1 clove garlic, smashed
• ~2.5-3 tbl sake
• 1/2 inch piece of ginger, julienned
• 2 scallions, sliced thinly on diagonal, green parts only

1. Bring sea bass to room temperature by leaving out on the counter for at least 10 minutes prior to cooking.  Season liberally with kosher salt and pepper.
2. Heat a heavy skillet over medium high heat.  Add oil and heat, adding smashed garlic clove and slices of ginger to infuse the oil while it is heating.
3. Once the ginger and garlic are fragrant, sear fish, skin side down, about 6 minutes, or until skin is golden and fish is 3/4 cooked.  Baste a few times with oil in the pan.
4. Lower heat slightly to medium, turn fish over and cook 2 minutes more, until just cooked through.  Transfer to heated plate and keep warm.
5. Remove ginger and garlic used to infuse the oil, add julienned ginger to remaining oil and lower heat while ginger cooks for ~10-15 seconds.
6. Deglaze the pan with sake, scraping up browned bits.  Remove pan from heat, add scallions and stir to wilt slightly.  Spoon scallion and ginger mixture over the sea bass and serve immediately.

Lemon Roasted Asparagus

Ingredients:

• 1/2 bunch asparagus
• olive oil
• lemon zest
• kosher salt
• freshly ground pepper

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Wash asparagus and trim tough ends.  Pat completely dry.
3. Toss with just enough olive oil to coat.
4. Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Grate fresh lemon zest over to taste.
5. Roast until crisp-tender, ~10-15 minutes.