Baby Bok Choy with Yam and Ginger
Serves 6 | Prep Time 15 min | Cook Time 5 min
Like most cooks, I really enjoy watching and learning from other cooks as they go through their creative process. Case in point: I observed one of my favorite cooks, Claire Heart, working with bok choy at a Commonweal Cancer Help Program retreat. Bok choy is a great vegetable, but tends to be bitter. Claire completely solved that problem by pairing it with sweet potatoes to create a dish that tasted like a vegetarian Chinese Thanksgiving. It was a completely unique and delicious combo, with the colors blowing me away as well. I went home and decided to play around with her concept, adding a little ginger for zing and digestion and a few more Asian- style flavors. Thank you, Claire!
Instructions
Trim the bases off the bok choy and discard. Trim the leaves from the stems and cut both crosswise into bite-size pieces, keeping the stems and leaves separate.
Heat the light sesame oil in a saute pan over medium heat, then add the scallions and ginger and saute for 30 seconds. Add the yam and a pinch of salt and saute for an additional minute. Add the bok choy stems, tamari, and maple syrup and saute for 2 minutes more. Add the bok choy leaves, lime juice, 1⁄4 teaspoon of salt, and the toasted sesame oil. Cook until the bok choy is just wilted, about 2 minutes, then taste: you may want to add a squeeze of lime if desired. Serve immediately.
STORAGE: Store in a covered container in the refrigerator for 3 days.
PER SERVING: Calories: 150; Total Fat: 6 g (0.9 g saturated, 2.2 g monounsaturated); Carbohydrates: 19 g; Protein: 9 g; Fiber: 6 g; Sodium: 595 mg
Ingredients
4 heads baby bok choy
2 tablespoons light sesame oil
2 scallions, white part only, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
1 cup peeled and finely diced garnet sweet potato
Sea salt
1 tablespoon tamari
1 teaspoon maple syrup
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
1⁄4 teaspoon toasted sesame oil (optional)