Buzz
We've all found ourselves facing a near-empty fridge late on a weeknight, wishing for a miracle to replenish the shelves while we dream of fresh ingredients.
Welcome to Cheap Chow Week! With food prices soaring, it might seem like your only affordable options are fast food or instant noodles. But it doesn't have to be that way. This week, we’ll teach you how to shop, cook, and enjoy meals on a budget without sacrificing taste or fun.
Making the most of what you have is an excellent way to save money and reduce waste. However, many 'empty fridge' recipes assume everyone has the same pantry staples, which isn’t always the case. When recipes call for ingredients like cheese, lemons, anchovies, or fresh herbs, I tend to roll my eyes. Sure, I love these items and keep them on hand, but sometimes all I have left are one lone carrot, some scallions that haven’t turned to mush, an old sweet potato, a wilting bell pepper, and a fridge packed with condiments. Throw in a serious hunger and a budget that can’t handle another pizza delivery, and I'm headed straight for a meltdown.
Once again, Maangchi enters the scene, expanding my culinary horizons in countless ways. As someone who has struggled with feelings of unworthiness and occasional despair, discovering her recipe for yachaejon, or spring vegetable pancakes, has been a game-changer. This is the ultimate 'sad-fridge' recipe: it makes use of whatever random veggies you have on hand and turns them into something truly exceptional. These aren’t your typical fluffy pancakes made with leftover steamed broccoli—these are crispy, salty, fried delights, mostly made from vegetables. The ingredients are simple: about a pound of thinly-sliced veggies, flour, water, salt, and a bit of oil for frying. No eggs, no leavening agents, no milk, just pure deliciousness.
Let’s face it, America: not everyone has a stockpile of Sicilian anchovies or fresh parsley for a rainy day. But most people likely have a cup of flour tucked away somewhere. And almost everyone has a kitchen tap that delivers potable water (although, sadly, this isn’t the case for all). Add a pinch of salt and some cooking oil to the mix, and if your fridge is filled with sad, leftover produce, you can whip up something mouthwatering in no time. Here’s how to make it happen.
Vegetable Pancakes for the Empty-Fridge Hero
It's worth repeating that you can choose almost any vegetables you prefer, as long as you include at least one onion (I personally love scallions). Beyond that, feel free to experiment: hearty greens like kale and collards are excellent, but spinach, cabbage, or even lettuce will work if finely shredded. For root vegetables, use a peeler to create ribbons; everything else should be julienned or sliced on the diagonal as finely as possible. If you're following a gluten-free diet, I suggest using a GF all-purpose flour blend rather than cornstarch or potato starch, as they fry up crisp on the edges but turn out strange and gummy inside.
As written, this recipe makes five large pancakes or ten to twelve smaller ones. You can adjust the quantities of vegetables and flour/water as needed; as long as the ratio of vegetables to batter remains similar, it will work perfectly.
Ingredients:
1 ½ pounds (680 grams) mixed vegetables, including at least one type of onion
¾ cup (approximately 100 grams, depending on the brand) all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon table salt
¾ cup (about 175 milliliters) water
Vegetable or canola oil for shallow frying (I typically use no more than a quarter cup)
Instructions:
Place a wide, heavy-bottomed skillet on low heat while preparing your vegetables. A good nonstick pan is ideal if you have one, but I typically use a nine-inch cast-iron or stainless steel skillet. When making more than two pancakes, I prefer using both a twelve-inch and a nine-inch cast-iron skillet at the same time.
Shred, julienne, ribbon, or slice your vegetables into very thin pieces and place them in a large bowl. The finer the slices, the better the batter will hold together and flip easily.
Add the flour and water to the bowl, then season with half a teaspoon of salt. If you'd like to include any dried spices, now is the time. Stir until the batter is evenly incorporated with the vegetables, using your hands if necessary to mix everything thoroughly.
Raise the heat under the skillet(s) to medium-high. After a minute, pour in enough vegetable or canola oil to fully cover the bottom. Let the oil heat until it shimmers and just begins to smoke, then drop the vegetable batter into the skillet in handfuls, letting any excess drip back into the bowl. If you're making smaller pancakes, two or three can fit in a nine-inch skillet, but I tend to make larger, plate-sized ones.
Use a sturdy spatula to press the pancakes into thin discs, and cook them for at least three minutes per side or until a dark, golden-brown crust forms. Since I usually make large pancakes, they sometimes take up to five minutes per side. Keep checking and adjust the heat if it seems too high.
When the first side is crisped to your liking, carefully flip the pancakes using your spatula or a professional sauté flip. (My cast-iron skillets are well-seasoned, but not perfect for flipping; I wouldn't attempt it without a nonstick pan.) Add a bit more oil, lifting the edges to evenly distribute it, and cook until the second side is equally browned.
Transfer the pancakes to a wire rack placed over a baking sheet and, if desired, warm them in a low oven (200ºF works well). Alternatively, serve them straight off the pan. While they're still hot, sprinkle a bit more salt on them and break off a crunchy edge to ensure they taste just right. (They always do, but it's worth checking.)
Depending on the vegetables you've selected, these small pancakes can take on any flavor profile you desire. Try kale, chard, onions, fresh herbs, and some crumbled feta for a spanakopita-inspired pancake; or keep it simple with onions and potatoes for a crispy, hearty rosti. Regardless of the mix, I typically follow Maangchi’s recipe by serving them with rice, soy sauce, chili garlic sauce—and if I have them—poached eggs.
