Pac Choi - What is it? How do I cook it?

After delivering several of our "Veg Out & Be Healthy" boxes, we had many questions about Pac Choi. Most people wanted to know, "What is it?" and "How do I do with it?" So, here is a post about one of our favorite and fast growing veggies.


Pac Choi (also known as pak choi, bok choi, or Peking cabbage) is a Chinese cabbage. It's commonly used in stir fry and spring rolls. It is also great sauteed or used as a substitute for spinach in cooked recipes.

Pac choi is also nutrient ricjh. It's high in vitamin C, beta carotene, folic acid and calcium, as well as many essential minerals. In fact, 1 cup of cooked pac choi contains 15% of your recommended daily allowance of calcium - the equivalent of 1/4 pint of full fat milk. Studies show that phytochemicals found in pac choi and certain types of broccoli fight off damaging molecules that can cause heart disease and cancer.

Here are 5 fun recipes to try with pac choi:

Ginger And Garlic Pak Choi

Ingredients

1 small pak choi (boy choy)


½ inch fresh ginger root

2 cloves garlic


1 tablespoon sesame oil (or olive oil)

Method

Separate the pak choi leaves and cut off the chunky stalks.

      Slice the stalks finely. Roughly chop the leaves.

       Peel and grate the ginger. Peel and crush the garlic.

       Heat the oil in a wok until almost smoking. Add the garlic and ginger. Cook for 1 minute, stirring often.

       Add the pak choi stalks. Mix well. Cover and cook for 2 minutes.

Add the pak choi leaves. Stir and then cook for 1-2 minutes, until they are just wilted.

Asian Bok Choy Salad

   1/4 cup olive oil

  2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar

  3 Tbsp. sugar

  1 tsp. sea salt, such as Maldon sea salt
  
  1/2 tsp. black pepper


   6 cups bok choy, rinsed and chopped into bite-sized pieces

  1 bunch green onions, sliced

  1 pkg. Ramen noodles, crushed (save seasoning packet for another use)

  1/3 cup wasabi peas

Put first five ingredients (through pepper) in a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Shake well. Set aside. Toss remaining ingredients in a salad bowl. Pour dressing over salad. Toss and allow flavors to marinate 30 minutes before serving. Serves 4.

Unwrapped Spring Roll Salad

1 pack thin rice noodles – cook and save some of the water.
2 small bunches of Bok Choy thinly sliced including the greens.
1 bunch green onions thinly sliced including some of the green.
1 cup diced cucumber.
1 grated carrot.
handful of chopped mint
handful of chopped cilantro

Toss together.

Make a dressing using:

½ cup of the reserved water
½ cup chunky peanut butter
¼ cup Hoisin sauce (or less depending on your taste)
And for a little kick a dash of garlic chili sauce

If serving later, wait to add the dressing. I had some shrimp left over from the night before so I tossed these in with the salad. You could add just about any vegetable.

Pak Choi Stir Fry

1 bunch Pak choi

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

½ of an onion, thinly sliced

½ teaspoon dry mustard

2 teaspoons soy sauce

½ teaspoon rice vinegar

2 teaspoons sake or dry sherry

Salt and pepper to taste

Garnish: toasted sesame seeds

Cut the Pak choi stalks into 1-inch lengths. Finely cut the green tops and reserve. In a large skillet, heat the oil, add the garlic and the onions and stir fry until softened. Stir in the stalks, mustard and soy sauce and stir fry until the Pak choi is tender, about 10-12 minutes. Stir in the tops, vinegar, sake or sherry and salt and pepper to taste. Cover and cook 2 more minutes. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds and serve.

CHINESE PAK CHOI AND CHICKEN SOUP

What it does: Strengthens your immune system

6 large spring onions
4 tablespoons canola oil
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
1.2 litres or 40 fl oz chicken stock
2 chicken breasts, skinned and shredded finely along the grain of the flesh
4 heads of pak choi, thick stems removed and reserved, the leaves finely chopped
150g or 2 oz Chinese noodles or vermicelli (optional)
1 teaspoon tamari or light soy sauce

Chop the white parts of four of the spring onions very finely; cut the others lengthwise almost to the root and reserve. Heat the oil very gently. Add the chopped onion and garlic and sweat for just two minutes. Pour in the stock.

Bring slowly to simmer and remove the garlic. Continuing to simmer, add the chicken and reserved pak choi stems and cook for ten minutes - until the chicken is almost tender.

Remove the pak choi stems. Add the pak choi leaves, noodles or vermicelli, and tamari or soy sauce and simmer for five minutes. Serve with the reserved spring onions floating on top.