Baby Bok Choy

Do you get tired of eating the same old vegetables everyday?  I certainly do and as such I'm always looking for something new or a new way of cooking the same old broccoli or spinach.  If you feel the same way, here is a vegetable you can try and it's easy to make!  Bok choy is actually from the cabbage family.  In Chinese cuisine they refer to it as Chinese cabbage or Chinese white cabbage. It's flavor and texture is almost a mix between spinach and cabbage.  It's loaded with calcium and vitamins A and C. Anymore, you can find bok choy in any supermarket.  If you have an Asian market near you, there are many different varieties to choose from.  That is where I found this baby bok choy that looked like it was fresh from the garden.  It helps that my husband loves it - one of the few vegetables he doesn't have to cover up with gravy.  

 

I used this bok choy in several different recipes once I cooked it up.  One was just to serve it as a vegetable side dish.  I also added it to soup which was really nice.  I followed the recipe below and then added it to a broth soup which only gave the soup more flavor.  You could put this in stir-fries or chop it up and add it soups, stews or even rice dishes.  Make sure that when you are ready to use the bok choy, that you trim the bottom and rinse the leaves really well under cold water.  The bok choy cooks up really quickly so add it at the last minute of your cooking as it only needs a couple of minutes to cook.  Bok choy will wilt down like spinach so always buy more than you think you need. 

Baby Bok Choy

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (I used garlic flavored olive oil)

1 large bunch of baby or regular bok choy, rinsed and cleaned

1 medium onion, quartered and then sliced thinly

2 large cloves garlic, minced

1 shallot, diced (optional)

2 tablespoons Tamari sauce, low sodium (or soy sauce)

1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

In a large saute pan, add olive oil, garlic, onions and shallot.  Cook on medium heat until onion starts to turn soft and translucent about 5 minutes.  Add the baby bok choy, tamari, sesame oil, salt and pepper.  Stir to coat the bok choy and then cover the pan.  Allow the bok choy to cook 3-5 minutes until most of the moisture is gone.  Serve and enjoy!