Baby Bok Choy

Say it with me: Baby Bok Choy! When I buy it in the grocery store, I have to say it at a higher pitch and with an excited lilt in my voice. I just do. I love Baby-Bok-Choy!

Anyway, I like to stirfry it. It has enough of a delicate flavor on its own, you don’t have to overpower it. I wanted a simple dinner, similar to the ones that I remember my roommate, Anna, making a few years ago.

For a simple stirfry, you’ll need Baby-Bok-Choy! green onions, ginger, sesame oil, and rice wine vinegar. Yes, that’s it.

I also wanted something hearty, so I steamed some sliced tempeh for 15 minutes, then marinated it for an hour in liquid aminos (a soy sauce substitute with less salt and no gluten). I sautéed the tempeh in sesame oil and some sliced ginger in a skillet until brown, then put it back in the marinating dish. (One bonus of vegan cooking, no cross-contamination fears.) Don’t clean the skillet.

Back to the Baby-Bok-Choy! It comes in little bunches, and for the two of us we ate 5 bunches. If there had been more to the meal, we would not have needed as much, but like I said, we were being simple. Cut the greens off the core and then wash them.

The trick to cooking Baby-Bok-Choy! is to separate the green leafy tops from the firm crisp stems. Both are good to eat, but for me to like them, they must be cooked differently. Cut the tops from the stems, it doesn’t have to be exact, but just halfish. Coarsely chop the white stems, and bunch together the green leafy tops and cut into thin green ribbons (chiffonade). Over the green ribbons, thinly cut a handful of green onions, and add three tablespoons of rice wine vinegar. Save this for the very end.

Add the chopped stems of the Baby-Bok-Choy! to the skillet, and stirfry until tender, with a little extra ginger and sesame oil if necessary.

When the rice is ready, and all the people that are going to eat are aware that dinner is going to be ready in the imminent future, add the bowl of Baby-Bok-Choy! ribboned green leafy tops, green onions and vinegar.

Cook until the harsh smell of vinegar has quelled, and the Baby-Bok-Choy! is BRIGHT green. Remove from heat.

Serve over liberal amounts of rice, with sautéed tempeh. Bring Sriracha to the table, as well as liquid aminos or soy sauce. Rejoice in enjoying Baby-Bok-Choy!

Recipe:

4-5 bunches of Baby Bok Choy, cored and washed
5-10 stems of green onions, sliced
1 T sliced or minced ginger
1 T sesame oil
3 T rice wine vinegar
1 (8 oz) brick of tempeh, sliced
1 T liquid aminos or soy sauce
2-3 servings of cooked rice
Sriracha and liquid aminos or soy sauce to taste.

Prepare rice. Steam tempeh in skillet for 15 minutes, then remove to dish to marinate with liquid aminos.
Prepare baby bok choy by cutting stems from leaves. Coarsely chop stems, set aside.
Chiffonade leaves and place in bowl, add green onions and vinegar.
Sauté tempeh in skillet until golden brown. Set aside, reserving drippings in skillet.
Sauté white stems of baby bok choy until tender with additional ginger.
When rice is ready and table is set, add in bowl of green tops, onion, and vinegar.
Cook just until colors brighten and tang of vinegar passes.
Serve baby bok choy and tempeh over rice with Sriracha and liquid aminos. Enjoy!