Some Quick Fix Ideas with an Asian Flair

Since our Champlain Valley Voices spring Mozart concert was over this past weekend, I have a Monday night free for the first time all semester! And as luck would have it, I didn't have a final scheduled today, so I got to stay home all day. Still, I didn't feel like making anything elaborate for dinner. What I had on hand was a TON of overgrown chives from my herb garden, so I was surfing the 'net for something delicious to do with them, when I ran across several recipes for savory Korean pancakes called Pa Jun. That sounded like just the ticket. I amalgamated several different recipes, and here's what I came up with:

I whisked together two cups of flour (one was white whole wheat) with two cups of ice water, four eggs, and one tablespoon of sugar. Then I seasoned the batter with maybe a teaspoon of salt, a 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper, and about a 1/2 teaspoon of granulated garlic. Finally, I stirred in about a cup of sliced chives (they were as big as scallions!) and a cup of chopped smoked chicken, because I also had that on hand.

I let the batter rest in the fridge for a half hour. Then I heated a nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat, added a little more than a teaspoon of vegetable oil for each pancake and a generous half cup of batter, cooking the first side for about two minutes, and the other side for about a minute. I held them in a warm oven until they were all cooked. Then I sliced each pancake into six wedges and served them with a dipping sauce made of 1/4 cup soy sauce, 1/4 cup rice vinegar, 1 teaspoon of minced ginger, 1 teaspoon of minced garlic, 1/2 teaspoon sriracha, and a scant tablespoon of water.

I made six (6-inch) pancakes, but there's enough batter there for about two more. So this recipe probably makes eight pancakes.

Scallions are usually the main ingredient of Pa Jun, but you can add whatever sliced/shredded veggies you like and also various meaty bits, if you so choose. Quick, easy, yummy. This would make a great party appetizer, too.
 

***While we are on the topic of Asian quick fixes, this idea is probably not substantive enough to warrant its own post, but it's an excellent tip nevertheless. It's a trick I learned from my friend, Janice Padula: Use the leftover bits of last night's Chinese food to make an unusually delicious omelette. Fried rice, vegetable lo mein, Szechuan beef, what have you--throw it in there and scramble it up! YUM! You're welcome.