This week, I am covering two dishes: bok choy and a vegetarian stir-fry. More and more Americans are becoming aware of the leafy vegetable bok choy (literally meaning ‘white vegetable’) as it is made available in their grocery markets. It is packed with vitamins and very easy to cook. For me, it has always been a staple in my family’s kitchen. We eat it at least once a week. Chinese Celery and Five Spice Tofu Stir-Fry is another favorite of mine! There are many variations, but the one below is my mother’s. I look forward to this dish every time she brings home Chinese celery from the grocery store. If you cannot find five spice tofu, you can make it from scratch. Several online recipes show you how to do so. The addition of sliced pork is not in the recipe, but it certainly makes the dish more flavorful.
Recipe: Bok Choy
Makes 1-2 servings
Tip: Since the stem takes longer to cook than the leaf, adding the two parts separately ensures they are cooked evenly. The bok choy will shrink gradually as you cook it. The dish is done when the stems and leaves become limp, but still retain a slight crispness.
Stir-fry Tips: To learn more about the stir-fry technique, check out the different videos when using a wok versus a deep dished pan. As you can see, a wok allows more room for movement, but a pan works just as well. Do NOT add as much water as seen in the wok video. If the bok choy appears dry, add ONE tablespoon of water or else it will become very soggy.
Ingredients:
- **3-4 bunches of bok choy
- salt to taste
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 slice of ginger
- 1-2 cloves of garlic, sliced (optional–make sure you don’t burn the garlic or else the bok choy will become bitter!)
**It’s even better if you can find baby bok choy. Their stems are not as long as the ones shown in the picture below. There are two “bunches” shown below.
image from Elise Bauer’s simplyrecipes.com
Sometimes bok choy can be slightly bitter, so I recommend using Shanghai bok choy if it is available to you. This variety is plumper, and its leafs are a brighter green. They are more resistant to bitterness. Change nothing in the recipe.
image from Jennifer Yu’s userealbutter.com
Method:
1. Wash the bok choy. Separate the stems and leaves.
Right: Whole leafed boy choy, Center: Stems, Left: Leaves
2. Heat a wok or deep dished pan and add 1 tablespoon of oil. If the temperature is high enough, the oil easily swirls on the bottom of the pan. Add the slice of ginger, then garlic slices. Stir-fry 30 seconds until fragrant.
3. Add the stems and stir-fry for a minute. Then cover with a lid for 1-2 minutes.
4. Add the leaves, stir-fry for a minute, then cover again for another 3-4 minutes.
5. Season with salt and serve.
Recipe: Chinese Celery and Five Spice Tofu Stir-Fry:
Makes 3-4 servings
Ingredients:
- **1 bunch of Chinese celery/celery
- 3 king oyster mushrooms (or any mushrooms is fine)
- **1 five-spiced tofu
- 1/2 can/2 fresh bamboo shoots
- Salt to taste
- **2 tablespoons of black bean paste (Douchi, 豆豉)–optional
- Sriracha/hot pepper flakes to taste
- 2 tablespoons oil
**1) Chinese celery is thinner than its western counterpart and has a unique flavor. If you cannot find it at a grocery store near you, regular celery is fine too. 2) There is no substitute for the five-spice tofu. 3) Black bean paste is not necessary, but it definitely makes the dish more delicious!
Method:
- Slice the bamboo shoots, tofu, and Chinese celery into thin strips. Break the mushrooms into chunks with your hands.
- How to cut the celery:
- Mix the 2 tablespoons of black bean paste with soy sauce, oil, and sugar to taste.
- Heat wok with oil. Add the black bean paste until fragrant.
- Add the celery, tofu, bamboo shoots, and mushrooms one at a time, stir-frying in between batches.
- Add salt and a small amount of hot pepper flakes.
- Serve.
Let me know how it goes!
The Reflection 