A little known veggie..Bok Choy

This is my new favorite veggie and great superfood! Its easy to cook (just like spinach) and so delicious.  I prefer to sauté my bok choy with olive oil and minced garlic. I also splash a little rice wine and cook until stalks are soft.  Serve with rice. **Bok Choy is also great in udon soup!

The following information was taken from this website.

Why Eat It

Bok choy, also known as Pak choi or Peking cabbage, forms a small but elongated head (not round like European cabbage) with plump white stalks and deep green leaves. A member of thebrassica family, bok choy offers nutritional assets similar to those of other cabbages: It is rich inVitamin C and contains significant amounts of nitrogen compounds known as indoles, as well as fiber--both of which appear to lower the risk of various forms of cancer. Bok choy is also a good source of folate (folic acid). And with its deep green leaves, bok choy has more beta-carotene than other cabbages, and it also supplies considerably more calcium. The stalks and leaves have quite different textures, so in culinary terms, it's like getting two vegetables for the price of one.

Varieties

The most commonly seen bok choy in American markets has thick, chalk-white stalks and deep green, veined leaves. Asian markets offer several other varieties, some of which have green stalks. Tat soi is another variety; its leaves grow in a large, flat rosette.

Availability

Bok choy is available year-round. If you can't find it at your supermarket, look for it at an Asian market.

Shopping

The stalks of bok choy should be thick and fleshy, but firm; the leaves should be crisp and green. Avoid bok choy with bruised or slimy spots.

Storage

Place unwashed heads of bok choy in a loosely closed plastic bag and refrigerate for no more than a day or two. Bok choy is more perishable than head cabbages.

Preparation

Rinse under cold running water and shake dry. Small (baby) bok choy has a mild enough flavor to eat raw; the stalks resemble celery (although they are not "stringy" like celery), and the finely shredded leaves can go into salads. More mature specimens have a sharper flavor that is tamed with cooking: The stalks turn sweet and almost creamy, and the leaves taste something like Swiss chard.

Baby bok choy can be cooked whole by steaming or braising. When cooking more mature specimens, you'll want to cut the leaves from the stalks because the stalks will take longer to cook. Slice the stalks, and begin cooking them first. When the stalks begin to soften (about 2 minutes), add the shredded leaves and cook just until wilted.

Bok choy is a natural for stir-fries and can also be steamed. The shredded leaves are a refreshing last-minute addition to a simple soup or broth.

Nutrition Chart

Bok choy/1 cup cooked
Calories	20
Total Fat (g)	0.3
Saturated fat (g)	0
Monounsaturated fat (g)	0
Polyunsaturated fat (g)	0.1
Dietary fiber (g)	2.7
Protein (g)	3
Carbohydrate (g)	3
Sodium (mg)	58
Beta-carotene (mg)	2.6
Vitamin C (mg)	44
Folate (mcg)	69
Vitamin B6 (mg)	0.3
Calcium (mg)	158
Potassium (mg)	631

How to get your husband to eat vegetables. Tip #3 Stuffed Broccoli

(left)breaded chicken stuffed with spinach from Schwans. Cheesy risotto with broccoli.

How to get your husband to eat this super food? Just two florets - raw or lightly cooked - count as a veggie portion.

Not only does broccoli contain antioxidants including vitamin C but it's a particularly good source of folate (naturally occuring folic acid).

Increasing your intake of folic acid is thought to be of major benefit in preventing heart disease.

Broccoli also contains an antioxidant called lutein that can delay the progression of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). This affects 10 per cent of people over 60 and is a major cause of impaired vision and blindness.

Finally, broccoli also contains a phytochemical called sulphoraphane that has specific anti-cancer properties. P.S. Notice that there is exactly two florets or broccoli :)