Stir-Fried Walnuts with Dried Prickly-Ash Pepper Leaves

My exploration of the Mindfulness Foodways (and, for that matter, my cooking in general), has encountered some obstacles in recent weeks. A variety of issues have prevented me from being able to be in the kitchen. Those same issues have impacted my ability to meditate, as I find myself too exhausted to do much of anything. 

Yet, it is those moments when I need to meditate. I am not a Buddhist and I have had no formal instruction. (Just like I am not a chef and I have had no formal culinary instruction.) My interest in mediation led me to the Plum Village, which is the Buddhist temple and mindfulness center founded by Thich Nhat Hanh. The teachings of Master Thay impressed me insofar as it opened my eyes to all the ways that I could meditate throughout the day: whether it was while walking, while sitting and even while cooking. 

For a while, I would meditate at various points during the day. Events and issues would inevitably begin to overwhelm me and I would lose my focus on mediation. I would go days without meditating, trying to concentrate on the issues that lay before me. That is where I have been over the past few weeks (which explains the lack of posts on this blog). 

Even in the maelstrom of these issues, there have been moments where I have been able to find some peace, which enabled me to try to meditate while cooking. All it takes is a simple recipe, like this one for stir-fried walnuts with dried prickly-ash pepper leaves, which comes from my Buddhist temple cookbook. I could focus on the ingredients, which, at first, seemed out of reach. After all, few households around where I live would have dried prickly ash pepper leaves. (Those are the leaves from the plant that gives us Sichuan peppercorns.) Taking some breaths and centering myself in the present moment, I remembered that I had some curry leaves from my favorite local Sri Lankan market. I also knew I had the other ingredients, such as the  perilla oil and rice syrup, in my pantry.  

This very simple recipe gave me a moment that I needed. I could meditate for a moment as I prepared a dish that was different, and very enjoyable. I just need more of those recipes and moments.  

STIR-FRIED WALNUTS WITH PRICKLY-ASH PEPPER LEAVES

Recipe from Wookwan, Wookwan's Korean Temple Food, at pg. 77

Serves 3-4

Ingredients:

• 300 grams of walnuts, washed and dried
• 10 grams of dried prickly-ash pepper leaves (or substitute)
• 1 tablespoon perilla oil (or untoasted sesame oil)
• 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil
• 1 tablespoon rice syrup
• 1 tablespoon roasted sesame seeds
• 1 teaspoon fine salt

Directions:

1. Stir-fry the walnuts. Heat a pan, add the grapeseed oil and walnuts. Stir-fry well and add salt. Add in the rice syrup and stir. 

2. Add the leaves. Add the prickly-ash pepper leaves and stir. Turn off the heat and add perilla seed oil and sesame seeds. Stir well to mix. Plate and serve immediately. 

ENJOY!