This stir fry is one of my favorite, frequent, fast main dishes. It truly “hits the spot.” Karen Schneider photo

We all have those meals that we make on the fly and don’t even have to think about. A little of this mixed with a little of that, and we like it so much, we put it on repeat week after week, year after year. Quickie Shrimp Stir Fry is one of those.

I first began a relationship with those grocery store chopped salad kits years ago when my go-to grab was a Caesar salad kit and ready-to-eat rotisserie chicken. This was a Tuesday-night staple that my youngest daughter and I consumed at breakneck speed before running off to our separate activities.

For quite some time, I overlooked the other chopped salad offerings at the grocery store, which is until at my sister’s house, I was served a crispy salad made from a packet of shredded cabbage and complementary veggies with a secret sauce and added crunchies — that’s right, it was the chopped Asian salad in a bag.

I used this as inspiration for a main dish-in-a-bowl that can also be served over rice or soba noodles.

For something different and if you have the time, this concoction can be dolled up by wrapping it in or serving it on top of brown rice pancakes. These are also delicious served by themselves with your favorite dipping sauce.

Quickie Shrimp Stir-fry

• 2 (12-ounce) packages chopped Asian salad kits
• 1 cup carrot, shredded
• 1/2 cup colored pepper, diced
• 3 scallions, minced
• 1/2 pound frozen medium raw shrimp, thawed and cleaned
• 1 cup fresh or frozen corn
• 2 cups fresh spinach, julienned
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• Salt and pepper to taste

In a wok or large skillet over medium heat, warm the olive and sesame oils. Add the vegetable portion of the Asian salad packets, setting aside sauce and crunchies.

Working quickly, sauté and stir salad ingredients, adding pepper and scallions, and cooking until tender crisp. Add shrimp and continue sautéing until they are beginning to get pink.

Add corn, spinach and garlic, cooking until the spinach is wilted. Stir in soy sauce and contents of salad sauce packets, allowing the liquid to thicken a bit.

Remove from heat and garnish with crunchies. Add salt and pepper if needed. Yield: 4 servings

Brown Rice Scallion Pancakes

• 3/4 cup brown rice flour or brown rice
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 1/2 cups boiling water
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon olive oil (plus more for frying)
• Salt and pepper
• 4 scallions, green parts only, finely chopped
• 1 egg

Preheat oven to 200 degrees. If you don’t have rice flour, grind the brown rice in the food processor or blender until it’s the consistency of corn meal.

Whisk together flours, water, sesame oil, 1 tablespoon oil, and salt and pepper. Let the batter rest for a few minutes.

Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium heat. Stir scallions and egg into batter, which should be thinner than pancake batter but coat the back of a spoon. Add more flour or water for the right consistency.

Add a thin film of oil to the griddle and allow it to get hot, then ladle some batter onto the griddle, making any size pancakes you would like. Cook until crisp and golden on the bottom for about 5 minutes, then flip and cook another 2-3 minutes.

Transfer to a plate and keep warm in the oven. Serves 4.

Karen Schneider cooks and writes in the village of Cundy’s Harbor. You can reach her at [email protected].