Happy 2018!
With a new year we welcome a fresh start. This often means forgiving oneself for mistakes made the previous year and moving on. It means staying in the moment. It means letting bygones be bygones. 2017 began with a bad ski accident and a following surgery which set me back in health and physical ability. I was in excruciating pain and it was because of tremendous support from family and friends that I was able to get by the year. Moreover, it was a huge year for me to get stronger psychologically. To ensure I get the results I wanted, not only did I have to get back into daily swing of things quickly, I had to challenge myself to focus and try harder than I would normally. The human ability to cope with hardships is tremendous - one just needs to rise above the muddy waters and look at the beautiful lilies floating around.
Apologies for not posting for most of last year. This year I would like to challenge myself to be more creative and share new ideas with you. This morning I was excited to try something different, easy, quick, and of course, yummy.
Asian foods are one of my favorite go to dishes this winter. They are great for vegetarians and vegans, and can be cooked in a variety of ways - fried, steamed, or stir fried. The great thing about stir fry dishes are that they can be packed with different vegetables and are a blank slate to whatever proteins or spices you decide to use.
This morning I made garlic ginger braised bok choy with sesame tofu. (The tofu was an afterthought and so you do not see that in the picture). It was a breeze to make once I had all the ingredients at hand.
Baby bok choy in ginger-garlic sauce
Ingredients:
4-5 baby bok choy, cut in half lengthwise
3 tsp oil that has a high smoking point ( I used rice bran )
1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
4 scallion stems, cut on a diagonal in ¼” long pieces
½ tsp ginger, minced
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp soy sauce
Salt to taste
½ tsp sugar
¼ cup cilantro leaves
½ tsp chilli-garlic sauce
1 tsp cornstarch
½ cup water/ vegetable stock
Procedure:
In a wok, heat the oils on a high flame.
Add the minced ginger and garlic and saute only for a few seconds making sure they don't burn.
Add the bok choy and stir fry for a few minutes till the bok choy starts getting charred.
Add ¼ cup water/vegetable stock and cover the wok with a lid, reducing the flame to a medium for 2-3 minutes.
Add soy sauce, salt, sugar, chilli-garlic sauce, and sugar to the bok choy.
Make a slurry of cornstarch and left over water/vegetable stock and add it to the wok, stirring till the liquid starts to simmer.
Finally add the scallions and cilantro leaves and cook for another minute.
Note: Snow peas is a nice crunchy contrast to the soft bok choy and can be also stir fried and added to this dish. Tofu is a great protein addition that elevates this dish from a side to a main.
