Cooking/ Recipes

Bok Choy with Shiitake Mushrooms

While I was born and raised in the United States, my mother is a Taiwanese immigrant. On a typical evening as a child, our dinners were standard Midwestern meals. However, there were plenty of evenings that my mom would cook the most amazing Chinese dishes, and those were among my favorite meals growing up.

Right now, one of my favorite side dishes when I make Chinese food for my own family is bok choy with shiitake mushrooms. I love that this vegetable has a nice light crisp crunch (when not over cooked), and it carries a mild flavor which makes it a great vegetable to pair most Asian-inspired dishes.

The shiitake mushrooms gives this dish a rich meaty dense flavor, which is perfect for adding another dimension to this dish. When I purchase shiitake mushrooms, I generally buy them dried from the Asian market. They tend to be less expensive in Asian markets than in big box grocery stores.

This dish comes together pretty quickly after soaking the mushrooms. Total cooking time is approximately 5 minutes.

Ingredients
1 large bunch of bok choy
4-5 dried shiitake mushrooms
1 inch piece of ginger sliced into coins
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 tablespoon soy sauce (or tamari)
1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions

Soak mushrooms in hot water in a large jar with a lid for at least 1 hour (I start soaking several hours before cooking).
Chop the bok choy into 1 inch cubes and place in a large bowl of water. Gently rub off any dirt that may still be on the stalks.
Slice the mushrooms into skinny strips.
Heat the oil in a large pan (or wok) over medium high heat. When the oil is hot, place the mushrooms into the oil and stir with a wooden spoon. Add the soy sauce and stir. Add ginger and cook with the mushrooms for approximately 1 minute. The mushrooms should begin to brown a little.
Add the bok choy to the pan and add salt. Gently toss with tongs. Continue to cook the bok choy with the mushrooms for approximately 4 minutes while tossing to cook the vegetable evenly. Salt to taste. Serve immediately. ♥

About the author: Cindy is the author of the blog Silly Little Vegan (www.sillylittlevegan.com). She is a home cook, and a health and wellness enthusiast and enjoys writing about all things vegan. Her love of animals led her to a B.S. in Zoology and a M.S. in Entomology, but her studies revealed a deeper understanding of how humans exploit all living creatures. Her hope is to inspire people to live compassionately one meal at a time.