Bok Choy Rocks. Word.
I feel like I speak a foreign language when I go to our local grocery stores.
“No, that’s bok choy, not lettuce.”
“No, that’s zucchini, not a cucumber.”
“They’re artichokes.”
“It’s spaghetti squash. Yes, the stringy kind.”
“Hearts of palm. They come from palm trees.”
“Pita is a type of bread.”
“Fennel.”
“No, portabella mushrooms are naturally darker than button mushrooms. No, I won’t get sick eating them.”
“Yes, I’m making a big salad.”
“Yes, ‘vegetarian’ means I don’t eat meat. No. None. No, I don’t miss it. Really. I don’t.”
Seriously. Every time I go shopping, I either have to correct the cashiers so I get charged the right price for the right item or I get asked what all the vegetables are for. It’s a great opportunity to teach people about the wonders of vegetables and other healthy food, but most just laugh and brag about how much they hate vegetables. It makes me sad.
But….I can’t change the world in a day, right? So on to today’s quickie post about my new favorite food: bok choy.
I have Lyn over at EscapeFromObesity to thank for introducing me to a baby bok choy recipe she had on her site last summer. I modified it a bit and use regular bok choy (since it’s all I can find around these parts), so I thought I’d share the recipe I tested (and adored) yesterday while waiting for Mr. Elliptical Fix-It Man to fix my elliptical. Which he couldn’t. Again. This was his third try, too. Poor guy. Said he’d be back next week with another part. I just wish he’d bring me a new machine.
But I digress.
Bok Choy ala Lynn
Makes 2 servings at 2 Points per serving or 1 Bigass serving for 5 Points
13-16 ounces bok choy, chopped, rinsed and drained
½ C thinly sliced red onion
2-3 (or more) cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp. sesame oil
3 ½ T slivered almonds (dry roasted beforehand in a pan or not, whichever you prefer)
Pinch of red pepper flakes
Spray a large fry pan with non-stick spray. Sauté the onion and garlic for a few minutes until slightly brown. Add oil, almonds and pepper flakes and stir fry for another few minutes. Add the bok choy and stir until the dark green leaves are wilted. You’ll want the white stalks still crisp.
That’s it. Very simple and very healthy: 8 ounces of bok choy has just 30 calories, only a trace of fat, 5 grams of carbs, 3 grams of fiber, nearly 4 grams of protein, 240 mg of calcium (that’s nearly 25 percent of daily recommended calcium intake for women 18-50) and 570 mg of potassium (strive to get 4,700 mg a day).
I’m going to add bok choy like I would spinach to vegetable soup and eat it as is in a salad, too. The key around my neck of the woods is finding bok choy that doesn’t look like it just got off a 2-year boat trip from China. It’s that way with leeks, too. But I won’t get started on that. Promise.
So tell me, are you experimenting with new foods this new year? What are some of your favorites? I’m always looking for new food finds. Thanks for sharing!
“No, that’s bok choy, not lettuce.”
“No, that’s zucchini, not a cucumber.”
“They’re artichokes.”
“It’s spaghetti squash. Yes, the stringy kind.”
“Hearts of palm. They come from palm trees.”
“Pita is a type of bread.”
“Fennel.”
“No, portabella mushrooms are naturally darker than button mushrooms. No, I won’t get sick eating them.”
“Yes, I’m making a big salad.”
“Yes, ‘vegetarian’ means I don’t eat meat. No. None. No, I don’t miss it. Really. I don’t.”
Seriously. Every time I go shopping, I either have to correct the cashiers so I get charged the right price for the right item or I get asked what all the vegetables are for. It’s a great opportunity to teach people about the wonders of vegetables and other healthy food, but most just laugh and brag about how much they hate vegetables. It makes me sad.
But….I can’t change the world in a day, right? So on to today’s quickie post about my new favorite food: bok choy.I have Lyn over at EscapeFromObesity to thank for introducing me to a baby bok choy recipe she had on her site last summer. I modified it a bit and use regular bok choy (since it’s all I can find around these parts), so I thought I’d share the recipe I tested (and adored) yesterday while waiting for Mr. Elliptical Fix-It Man to fix my elliptical. Which he couldn’t. Again. This was his third try, too. Poor guy. Said he’d be back next week with another part. I just wish he’d bring me a new machine.
But I digress.
Bok Choy ala Lynn
Makes 2 servings at 2 Points per serving or 1 Bigass serving for 5 Points
13-16 ounces bok choy, chopped, rinsed and drained
½ C thinly sliced red onion
2-3 (or more) cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp. sesame oil
3 ½ T slivered almonds (dry roasted beforehand in a pan or not, whichever you prefer)
Pinch of red pepper flakes
Spray a large fry pan with non-stick spray. Sauté the onion and garlic for a few minutes until slightly brown. Add oil, almonds and pepper flakes and stir fry for another few minutes. Add the bok choy and stir until the dark green leaves are wilted. You’ll want the white stalks still crisp.
That’s it. Very simple and very healthy: 8 ounces of bok choy has just 30 calories, only a trace of fat, 5 grams of carbs, 3 grams of fiber, nearly 4 grams of protein, 240 mg of calcium (that’s nearly 25 percent of daily recommended calcium intake for women 18-50) and 570 mg of potassium (strive to get 4,700 mg a day).
I’m going to add bok choy like I would spinach to vegetable soup and eat it as is in a salad, too. The key around my neck of the woods is finding bok choy that doesn’t look like it just got off a 2-year boat trip from China. It’s that way with leeks, too. But I won’t get started on that. Promise.
So tell me, are you experimenting with new foods this new year? What are some of your favorites? I’m always looking for new food finds. Thanks for sharing!
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