Every now and then I can entice Mr. C. into willingly eating a cooked veggie from the cabbage family. It isn’t easy, but I have my ways. And one of those ways is by braising baby brassica in a few highly flavored ingredients. Lightly glazed in this lovely sauce, Mr. C. actually forgets he is eating a veggie from “the dreaded cabbage family”. He even gives it the highest praise I will ever hear on any veggie dish I prepare  – “it’s good.” (More often his comments on cooked vegetables run along the lines of “it’s OK”! If I ever heard a “wow, that’s delicious” spring unsolicited from his lips, I would immediately run to the phone and make a doctor’s appointment. I would know he was really one very sick chicken!)

In appearance, baby bok choy is darling. It is merely regular bok choy that hasn’t been allowed to grow up. (Apparently teenagers aren’t easy even in the vegetable kingdom!) Bok choy is low in calories, while at the same time a rich source of many vital phytonutrients (bioactive plant-derived compounds associated with good health), vitamins, minerals and health-benefiting anti-oxidants. The Chinese commonly refer to bok choy as the “white vegetable” and it has reportedly been grown and consumed in China for over 5,000 years. (How anyone really knows how long bok choy has been grown in China, is beyond me. But I read this “fact” on the internet, so it must be true!) Regardless of how long it has been around, I love it! It is perfect in soups, cut into julienne strips for stir fries, and of course – braised.  So be brave. Try this out on your family. They might even thank you. (Oh who am I kidding? What cook has ever heard a family member thank them for fixing a vegetable? Forget I even mentioned it!)

• 1 tsp. canola oil
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 tsp. minced fresh ginger
• 4 baby bok choy, washed and cut in half
• ¼ c. low sodium chicken broth or stock
• ½ tsp. corn starch
• 1 ½ tsp. oyster sauce
• 1 ½ tsp. hoisin sauce
• 1 tsp. tamari or regular soy sauce
• ½ tsp. sesame oil

Heat a large covered sauté pan over medium heat. Add oil, garlic, and ginger and sauté until garlic releases its aroma. Add the bok choy and stir fry for about a minute.  Add chicken stock, bring to boil, cover and simmer for 2-3 minutes or until the bok choy is crisp tender. Meanwhile whisk together the corn starch, oyster sauce, hoisin sauce, tamari, and sesame oil. Pour over the bok choy and let simmer until slightly thickened.  Serve immediately.