Recipe(tried): Baby Bok Choy with Shiitake Mushrooms

BB:

I LOVE bok choy and baby bok choy.

Baby bok choy can be cut in slices,
chunks, or cooked whole.

It is GREAT raw in salads, or cooked in
soups, stews or sauces. I now use Bok
Choy or Baby Bok Choy instead of celery.
I make a lot of homemade soup and
always use bok choy in this soup.

If cooking plain, you can stand the bases
in boiling water with the leaves pointing
upward, as in cooking asparagus spears.
Cover the saucepan so that the tops of
the vegetable steam while the bottoms
cook through in the boiling water. It
takes 3 to 5 minutes for the stems to
become crisp-tender.

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Baby Bok Choy With Chinese Mushrooms

8 large, dried, shiitake mushrooms
4 baby bok choy (total about 1 pound)
1 tablespoon oil
1/2 cup vegetable or chicken broth
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon cornstarch mixed with 2 teaspoons water
Freshly ground pepper, optional

Soak mushrooms in 1-1/2 cups hot water 20 minutes
or until tender. Drain. Cut off stems. Soak bok
choy in bowl of cold water 10 minutes to remove
any sand. Drain well.

Heat oil in medium saute pan.

Add bok choy - stand back to avoid splatters - and
saute 1 minute over medium heat, turning bok choy
with tongs. Add broth, mushrooms and soy sauce.

Cover and cook, turning bok choy occasionally,
about 8 minutes or until bases are crisp-tender
when pierced with sharp knife.

If pan becomes nearly dry during cooking,
add 2 tablespoons water.

Transfer bok choy and mushrooms to platter.
Measure cooking liquid and add enough
water to make 1/3 cup. Bring liquid to simmer
over medium heat. Stir cornstarch mixture
and pour into liquid, stirring. Bring to simmer,
stirring until thickened. Add pepper to
taste. Pour sauce over vegetables and serve.

Makes 2 to 4 servings.