as easy as making toast! Scroll on down to the bottom of the recipe, for a quick how-to on the equally-easy Sizzled Tofu you see in the pic…
5-Minute Baby Bok Choy
Most of the time, I write these newsletters at the last minute. So when my attempt at an April recipe fell flat three tries in a row, I needed a Plan B – fast! Something foolproof I could whip up in 5 minutes, and photograph before we lost daylight. Enter the Baby Bok Choy!
20 years ago, you needed to go to the Asian grocer for this tender little veggie. 10 years ago, Debra’s was selling it — but it was a Spring and Summer treat only. Now you can get it year-round (although we still look forward to the local stuff around May). Baby bok choy has a lovely mild taste, so I try not to overpower it. Just tiny bit of garlic, a splash of soy sauce, and the earthiness of toasted sesame.
Serves 4
| 1 ½ pounds baby bok choy | ½ Tbsp refined avocado oil |
| 1-2 cloves garlic (or more…) | 1 Tbsp soy sauce |
| finishing drizzle of toasted sesame oil | optional: sprinkle of sesame seeds, chili flakes, shichimi togarishi |
Directions
- Slice the baby bok choy lengthwise into halves (or quarters, for any that are substantially bigger than the others)
- In the corner of a large skillet, sautee the garlic in the avocado oil, stirring quickly, until fragrant — about 45 seconds. Quickly remove the garlic, and reserve
- Place the bok choy sections cut side down in the skillet. (It’s okay to crowd them, but you still may not have enough room for all. If you don’t, you’ll just do it in two batches). After ~90 seconds, flip them using tongs or chip sticks, and cook another minute. You should see just a bit of light browning on the cooked side.
- Return the garlic, add soy sauce plus 2 Tbsp water, stir to combine and coat, then steam covered another minute.
- Serve drizzled with toasted sesame oil (plus optional stuff), but not so much you overpower the baby bok.
The dish you see in the upper right of the pic is a very simple braised tofu. Put about 2 Tbsp avocado oil in a heavy-bottom skillet. As it heats up, add a tsp turmeric powder. Turmeric on its own does not do much for flavor, but when it infuses in a cooking oil, it turns things a nice, bright yellow-orange. Place your tofu slices in the pan, sizzle them for a minute, then flip and do it to the other side. Sprinkle with salt and sesame seeds. That’s it. Of course you can add more flavors if you want — a touch of rice vinegar, or some cumin. Ginger…