For the past week and a half I’ve been sadly deprived of fresh vegetables in anywhere near the quantities I like. Running out of money will do that to a lady–I was nearly subsisting on peanut butter and pickle sandwiches! Thankfully, I got paid yesterday, and the first thing I did was run to the market and fill my basket with fresh vegetables–eggplant, broccoli, zucchini, tomatoes, snap peas, and something I’ve never cooked before: baby bok choy.
It just looked so cute there in the store, with its gently curving green leaves and tiny round white stems. And I’d been wanting to try it for months, so into the basket it went. Of course, I wasn’t entirely sure how to prepare it, but I figured it couldn’t be too different from other vegetables, so I wasn’t worried. Maybe I should have spent a little more time reading up on the baby bok choy because I kind of overcooked it. But you know? It was still pretty good–delicate, slightly crunchy, and full, I’m sure, of all kinds of minerals and vitamins, which my poor body felt sorely lacking.
I probably didn’t need to cook it with beef, but I had about a half pound of ground beef left in the freezer that needed to be used, and I’d heard that bok choy and beef were a good pair, so what the hell. My impromtu preparation could probably have used a little more finesse, a little more thought, but it made me pretty happy.
I served the bok choy and beef with these “harvest grains” I picked up at Trader Joe’s: Israeli couscous, orzo, split lentils, and a few other little things I couldn’t quiet identify. Whatever they were, they were tasty and I will probably make this a new staple in the pantry. Ironic, though, that the only time I’ve seen Israeli couscous in a store it was mixed in with a bunch of other things. I figure this stuff is popular enough and yet I still can’t find it in any grocery stores. I guess it will just take time. If you can’t find Israeli coucous, or this cool harvest grains mix, you could probably serve this with, well, rice. Or pasta. Or regular couscous. Or with nothing. You can probably do whatever you want, I’m not going to stop you.
Baby Bok Choy and Beef
- 2 heads of baby bok choy (Are they called heads? I have no idea.)
- 1 1/2 c. chicken stock
- 1/2 lb. ground beef
- 1 tsp. sesame oil
- a few splashes of soy sauce
- a few splashes of fish sauce
- about 1 T. chopped green onion
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- grains, rice, pasta, whatever
Slice the ends off the bok choy and gently pull the leaves apart a bit. Put them in a medium skillet and add the chicken stock. Bring the stock to a boil, lower the heat a little, and cover the skillet. Let the bok choy cook for about five minutes, turning it over once during cooking. Then remove the bok choy to a colander, turn the heat up under the skillet, and cook the stock at a high boil for about seven minutes, until it thickens and reduces.
Meanwhile, heat another skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sesame oil and the ground beef and break up the meat with a wooden spoon or spatula. After a minute or two, add the soy sauce, fish sauce, green onions, and garlic, and continue to cook until the meat is cooked through, stirring every now and then, probably about ten minutes.
Add the bok choy and the meat back to the reduced chicken stock and mix it all together, and then serve it with whatever grain you prefer.
Admittedly, this isn’t a very exciting dinner, but I was thrilled to see green things in my food, and the flavors blended together very well. I love bok choy and may cook it all the time now. If anyone has any other ideas besides braising, please share.