The Chinese New Year began Feb. 10 – the year of the snake – but it’s never too late 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 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.

For steaming equipment, you can:

• 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.

This meal contains 486 calories per serving, with 19 percent of calories from fat.

Helpful hints

• 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.

Countdown

• Mix sauce and marinate snapper.

• Place water in the bottom of a steamer and bring to a boil.

• Prepare ingredients and steam.

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

McClatchy-Tribune News Service

Gassenheimer: DinnerInMinutes.com

For a printable copy of the recipe, click the link:

Hong Kong Steamed Fish and Chinese Noodles