Baked Pasta, Bok Choy, More Birthdays

Happy Monday, Team Quarantine. Hope you all had healthy weekends and Easter Sundays. Yesterday, I drove across the county to my parents' house to say hi from the curb and drop off some flour and sugar. (That's my mom pictured. She's baking a birthday cake for her grandson, my nephew. Happy Birthday Owen!) I also went for a run in their neighborhood -- my favorite route as a teenager -- just to switch things up. Here are some things to think about making as we head into week 5...

Project: Pasta Bake with Beans and Kale

I have an unofficial rule that I'm trying to stick to for the recipes I'm developing in my next book. I want them to be so simple that they pass the "Texting Test," as in "Is this recipe easy enough so that I could text the gist of it to someone who mostly knows their way around the kitchen?" I feel like this dish should be one of those recipes (you could probably figure out a baked pasta without a recipe if you had to, right?) so I hope you'll forgive me if I just give you the gist of this one.

In a large skillet, sauté kale (curly or Tuscan) with red onions, garlic, and (at the end) a splash of red wine vinegar.

I prepared the pasta (short ziti) according to package directions and reserved a little pasta water before draining. In the same pot that I cooked the pasta, I added olive oil, water, a handful of parm and whisked in a little of the reserved water to make a little "sauce." I tossed the pasta back in to that sauce along with the kale-onion mixture, a handful shredded mozzarella, a 15-ounce can of white cannellini beans. Then I dumped that whole mess into a baking dish, added another little drizzle of pasta water, a few slices of fresh mozzarella on top, and baked covered for 25 minutes at 350°F. I broiled uncovered for the last 5 minutes to get the cheese brown and bubbly.

Pantry: Gingery Bok Choy (with Scallops or Noodles)

We went to the farmer's market for the first time this past weekend. It was great -- you had to sign up for time slots ahead of time so there were never more than a few people shopping, the vendors pre-bagged all their vegetables, and you weren't allowed in without masks and gloves. It was by far the most comfortable shopping experience we've had yet. I loaded up on vegetables, including two bundles of baby bok choy (my favorite) but was most delighted to score some fresh scallops. If scallops are not something you see yourself getting your hands on any time soon, make the bok choy and add to soba noodles that have been tossed in a drizzle of soy sauce (or fish sauce) along with a little neutral oil and some minced scallions.

Pan-Seared Scallops

1 tablespoon butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 1/2 dozen sea scallops, patted dry and tough side muscle strips removed

1/3 cup white wine (or chicken broth)

1 garlic clove, minced

generous squeeze fresh lemon juice

Add butter and oil to a medium-large pan. Add scallops to the pan and brown 1 1/2 minutes on each side. Remove scallops from pan to a platter. Add wine to the pan, along with garlic and a little more butter. Turn heat to high, whisk and scrape up all the brown bits as you stir, about one minute. (Monitor carefully — the sauce can disappear if you’re not watching.) When pan sauce is syrupy, drizzle over the scallops, along with fresh lemon juice.

Gingery Bok Choy

3 tablespoons light olive oil or neutral oil (grapeseed)

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced

3 tablespoons chopped onion

shake of red pepper flakes

8 stalks baby bok choy, tough end removed, and chopped

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

1 tablespoon soy sauce

toasted sesame seeds (for garnish, optional)

Add oils to a medium-large skillet set over medium heat. Add ginger, onion, red pepper flakes and cook until soft, about 2 minutes. Add bok choy and cook until leaves are wilted, another 5 minutes. Remove to a bowl and toss with remaining ingredients.

Purpose: Quarantine Birthdays, Part 485

On Saturday I got a text from my neighbors Ian and Gillian. Don't be alarmed, "the fire trucks will be driving by with sirens on for Weston's fifth birthday!" I thought that was adorable. For her daughter's "quaranteen" 13th birthday, my friend Liz organized a parade of cars to drive by her house, and young passengers popped up through sunroofs holding up posters and singing. And then, of course, there's this.

Stay safe, stay home.

The goal of the Project, Pantry, Purpose series to keep us sane, distracted, and connected. Please continue to comment below with suggestions for recipes, projects (for kids and adults), good deeds, donation ideas, stories, movies, games, puzzles. Or just tell me how you’re doing, what your daily routine is, and how DALS can help you or people in your community. You can also email me directly at jenny@dinneralovestory.com.