"bok choy" news and stories

When trying to get rid of leftovers, it's easy to throw them into a stew, salad, or some other bowled smorgasbord of flavor. It can be a bit trickier to make a meal out of them that doesn't look like leftover land.

Granted, these leftovers aren't the pre-cooked kind, but what remained after a week of cooking and a journey through the freezer. We've got an eye of round dry-rubbed with a mixture of random spices, fingerling potatoes tossed in olive oil, herbs, and shallots and roasted in the toaster oven, and garlic and shallot-based saute of chard and bok choy.

The roasted shallots came off crispy, which made them the perfect topping to cover some old chevre. Now, I'm usually not a big fan of masking steak with other flavors, but when you're talking about a thick piece of meat, one that's been frozen for a few months, a little cheese and shallots go a long way. They swim with the juice of the meat, and team perfectly with garlicky greens and herby potatoes.

For a quick and simple meal, it really can't be beat.

I'm getting back in touch with my Asian side, all. It started with a little dig into my roots with bulgogi, and now, motivated by the Chinese New Year this weekend, I am going full force with a little lesson in Asian greens. There are so many greens and vegetables that originate in Asia that we could cover, but we're just picking and choosing ones that we see pop up in recipes more often than others.

Bamboo Shoots - These are so common, it seems odd to include them, as if they were "exotic" in some way. Bamboo shoots are the part of the bamboo grass that we eat, which are harvested before the bamboo gets too tall and tough to eat. Most commonly, bamboo shoots are canned, though it is available as fresh bamboo. If you buy fresh bamboo, it has to be cooked, as fresh bamboo is hard to digest. Bamboo shoots are often used as an ingredient in stir-fry dishes, like Beef and Bamboo Shoot Stirfry.

I love baby bok choy. Regular bok choy tastes great, but I think I am beginning to have this fascination with all things teeny tiny cute and miniature. Of course, baby bok choy tastes a little different - they're sweeter and more tender.

Cut baby bok choy lengthwise into quarters, rinse, and dry off. (You can rinse before you cut, but it's easier to get any sort of nasty stuff that's caught between the leaves if they're sliced open). In a saute pan with high sides, bring about ¼ c. water or vegetable broth to a boil (The bok choy will give off some water later, too). Add 2 Tbsp. Korean ggoh-choo-jahng (spicy red pepper paste), 2 Tbsp soy sauce, and about 4-5 cloves chopped garlic. Reduce to simmer, and add bok choy. Let braise until bok choy are tender.