Celebrate with speedy steamed fish

The Chinese New Year has begun — the year of the snake. To celebrate, cook up a one-pot dish, Hong Kong Steamed Fish flavored with ginger, soy sauce and scallions.

Chinese food takes only minutes to cook, but the chopping and cutting to prepare ingredients can be time-consuming. This recipe has very little preparation time and few ingredients, making it a very speedy Chinese supper.

One of the ingredients is bok choy, a Chinese lettuce with white, thick stalks and dark green leaves. It's available year round in the supermarket. Any type of firm lettuce such as romaine can be used.

Here are some hints for steaming equipment: Use a one- or two-tiered steamer. This is a large pot with one or two steaming inserts. Use a collapsible vegetable steaming rack placed in a skillet and covered with lid. Use a roasting pan with rack or broiler pan. Line rack with foil. Poke holes in the foil and place in roasting pan or in a large skillet. Cover tightly with foil if you do not have a lid for the pan. Place a rack or perforated foil pie plate in a wok or other pan and cover with a lid.

Tips: Any type of thin white fish fillet such as snapper or sole can be used. Steamed or fresh Chinese noodles can be found in the produce section of the supermarket. Fresh angel hair pasta can be used instead of Chinese noodles.

Wine suggestion: Try an Argentine torrontes if you can find one, otherwise a gewurztraminer.

HONG KONG STEAMED FISH AND CHINESE NOODLES

2 tablespoons low-salt soy sauce

3 tablespoons dry sherry

4 scallions, sliced

1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger or 1 teaspoon ground ginger

2 teaspoons sesame oil

3⁄4 pound tilapia fillet

1 small head bok choy (several leaves)

1⁄2 pound steamed or fresh Chinese noodles

Preparation

Mix the soy sauce, sherry, scallions, ginger and oil together in a bowl or self-seal plastic bag. Add the tilapia and marinate five minutes, turning the fish over once during that time.

Place water in steamer bottom and bring to a boil. Line the base of steamer basket with bok choy leaves. Spread noodles over bok choy. Place fish on leaves and pour marinade over top. Cover with a lid and steam five minutes over boiling water. Makes two servings.

Linda Gassenheimer is the author of more than 20 cookbooks including her newest, "Fast and Flavorful-Great Diabetes Meals from Market to Table" and "The Flavors of the Florida Keys." Visit Linda on her web page at DinnerInMinutes.com or email her at Linda@DinnerInMinutes.com. Twitter @LGassenheimer.