Simplicity on Mondays: Bok Choy on the Side

When it comes to cooking, I always work hard to prepare a main course, but I don’t put a lot of thought into sides to round out a healthy, colorful meal unless company is coming.   Oftentimes, I’m steaming broccoli and preparing a salad most nights for my own family.

That gets boring quickly.

I started a “What’s on the Side?” board on Pinterest to inspire me to come up with some new ideas. I want simple, easy sides because I don’t have the time to make a main course then complicated sides with a lot of ingredients, too.

Bok choy is a vegetable I see a lot in the grocery store, but I never really knew what to do with it unless a recipe called for its use.  I never really thought about sauteeing it for a simple, easy side until I started looking for ideas.  

I was first introduced to this Chinese cabbage 20 years ago when I was working in television.  I was reporting on an agriculture story featuring Southern tobacco farmers who were exploring new things to farm in southeastern North Carolina to replace the crop that was no longer golden.

This crispy, green vegetable is low in calories and high in nutrients.  When sautéed, it will add some pizzazz and variety to your menu.

Simplicity on Mondays: Bok Choy on the Side

Ingredients:

Bok choy

Garlic

Olive Oil

Sesame Oil

Green Onions

Salt, Pepper to taste

Sautee green onions and garlic in olive oil.  Add bok choy.  Drizzle with sesame oil, and season with salt and pepper.  Cover, and let it cook for about three to four minutes.  Uncover, and let it cook a minute or two longer.

Do you cook with bok choy?  It’s also great to snack on with hummus.  I also think you could use the leafy vegetable as a substitute for green lettuce in recipes for lettuce wraps.  Now that I've discovered bok choy, my sides don't have to be boring at all. 

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