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Easy Bok Choy

Featuring baby bok choy from Willow Creek Farm

Bok choy, a cabbage of Asian origins, has broad white stalks with dark green leaves projecting from them. You may see it spelled pak choi, bok choi or pak choy. It has a mild, sweet flavor, and the succulent stalks and tender leaves can be eaten raw or enjoyed in soups and stir-fries. Bok choy heads vary in size depending on season and maturity. Mild-flavored baby bok choy is small enough to boil or steam whole. A mature bok choy head is about the size of a large bunch of celery. 

Bok choy is loaded with vitamins A and C. It also contains a good amount of vitamin K, important for keeping bones strong. There are also B-complex vitamins and minerals such as calcium, phosphorous, potassium, manganese, iron and magnesium. 

This basic stir-fry can be served as is, or you can add meat or tofu to make it more substantial. Serve with rice or over noodles in soup. The bok choy cooks down quite a bit so the raw amount may look like it will be too much before cooking. You can use regular bok choy instead of baby bok choy, although baby bok choy is sweeter and has a more delicate flavor.

Ingredients (makes 4-6 servings)

  • 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped
  • 8 heads baby bok choy, trimmed and cut into bite–size pieces
  • Salt to taste

Directions

  1. Heat the oil in a large skillet or wok over medium heat, and cook the garlic until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. 
  2. Mix in the baby bok choy, and cook and stir until the green parts of the leaves turn bright green and the stalks become slightly translucent, 5 to 8 minutes. 
  3. Sprinkle with salt to serve.

Recipe originally appeared in the Co-op News, January 2016