GOOD STUFF TO KNOW ABOUT BOK CHOY
Bok Choy is a tasty & nutritious member of the cabbage family that adds both crunchy sweetness (stems) & spicy green-ness (leaves) to stir fries or Asian style soups. It’s like two vegetables in one! And you can even eat it raw! Bok Choy (A.K.A.: leafy Chinese cabbage, bok choy, and pak choi/choy) might be low-cal, but get ready to be socked by this super-food with its phyto-nutrients, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. A 100 gram serving is a mere 13 calories, but provides 75% of the daily need for vitamin C, and 149% of your day’s need for vitamin A! It also provides 38% RDA of vitamin K, known for bone health and osteoporosis prevention. That’s an extreme amount of nutritiousness for being leaves, hey? It’s a decent source of minerals such as calcium, potassium, manganese, magnesium, phosphorous, and iron. Better still, bok choy has antioxidant nutrients that help our bodies fight against breast, colon, and prostate cancers and help reduce our blood’s LDL, which the doc refers to as “bad cholesterol.” So no need to feel guilty about cooking up your bok choy with a stick of butter. Well, maybe don’t do that.
STORAGE TIPS
Store in the fridge in plastic & use up within a week or so.
RECIPES
Cooking & Eating Tips
You’re gonna want to strip the leaves from the white crunchy stems and treat the differently during the cooking process. The stems will take a bit longer than the leaves – much like celery or just slightly less than peppers. The leaves however should be added right at the last minute, or even after the heat has been turned off (cover the dish and let them steam) or else they will get mushy.
Top 10 Ways to Enjoy Bok Choy
1. Add to Salads: Add cut bok choy to your favorite salad for a new layer of flavor. It has a sweet flavor and is a good addition to spinach or mixed green salads.
2. Sick of Celery? Fill raw bok choy stalks with anything you would use to fill celery sticks. Try peanut butter, cream cheese, or guacamole.
3. A Simply Stylish Side. Cut in half and braise with a mixture of your favorite stock, ginger, garlic, sesame oil, soy sauce, and red pepper flakes for an elegant side dish.
4. Sandwiches: Use raw bok choy leaves on sandwiches with hummus and peppers.
5. Add to Your Appetizers: Add raw stalks of bok choy to your favorite vegetable tray!
6. A Leftover Makeover: Add chopped bok choy and onion to any leftover meat and pre-cooked veggie or rice mixture then toss in a skillet over medium-high heat. Scramble one egg for each person, and pour over the veggie-meat mixture. Stir it all up and serve.
7. Grill It: Cut bok choy in half, drizzle with Driftless Sunflower Oil (or olive oil) and toss it on the grill. Add just a sprinkle of salt, turn once and enjoy. Watch Bok Choy Video
8. Great as Garnish: Use the tops of bok choy leaves to cover a plate as an attractive garnish when serving appetizers at your next party or get-together.
9. Turbo-Charge Your Soups: Bok choy is great for adding last-minute nutrition to homemade or canned soups. Just chop up and add towards the end of your soup prep.
10. Stir Fry: The old standby – make an Asian-inspired stir-fry using chicken, cabbage, peppers, onion and bok choy. Clean the stalks, then give them a rough chop before adding to the wok.
