Ginger Beef and Bok Choy Stir Fry

Delicious and flavorful dishes do not have to be complex or expensive, and this is a perfect example of a quick and cheap yet scrumptious and filling meal. I kept thinking that I was forgetting something when I went to dish it up, that's how minimal the work is! It took me more time to eat my dinner than it did to make it, and that's a sure sign of a successful meal in my books.


Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon sesame oil  (can substitute canola)
• 1 lb beef (chuck steak cut into strips, most grocery stores will sell the strips all prepped for you)
• 8-10 baby bok choy, quartered lengthwise
• 1 tablespoon minced ginger
• 4-6 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds, sriracha

Directions:

1.  Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil the the hot pan, then add in the beef. Cook the beef for about 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally to brown all over. 
2. Add the baby bok choy, ginger, garlic, and soy sauce. Cook until bok choy is tender, about 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle on the sesame seeds then serve it up! I drizzled sriracha on my bowl of beef and baby bok choy for some heat.

Beef and Bok Choy with Noodles

I have always enjoyed bok choy, but until today I never really considered buying it because, well, I'm kind of a sissy when it comes to Asian cuisine. I like to eat any and all Asian food I can get my hands on, but when it comes to actually cooking it for myself I stick with the easy and totally not authentic stuff (like my super duper easy fried rice or Thai soup).
However, I live a couple blocks from Chinatown and today while I was meandering through it, I saw piles of fresh bok choy and it just lured me in! I had to have it! And you know what? It was my first time cooking with bok choy and it was so delightful and easy and yummy that I am already dreaming of future bok choy recipes. Plus, it was a great way to use up leftover steak that we had sitting in the fridge. What can I say - bok choy is great.

So go pull on some pants and head the grocery store - it's bok choy night!


Serves: 2 hearty portions (or 2 light portions + leftovers)

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1/2 tablespoon barbeque sauce
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 3 shanghai bok choy (if you get baby bok choy, double the quantity)
• Shanghai noodles - have as much or as little as you want (or any kind of long noodle will do--think spaghetti, linguini, even udon!)
• 1 small steak sliced into strips, about 6-8 oz.
• Sesame oil for drizzling

Directions:

1.  Preheat the oven to 375 F. Heat a small saucepan over low heat and add the soy sauce, honey, barbeque sauce, and garlic. Stir occasionally and let simmer for 5-10 minutes, until sauce has thickened. 
2. Meanwhile, saute the steak with a dab of butter in a skillet over medium-high heat, 3-4 minutes. Put the steak in a small baking dish. When the sauce has thickened, pour it over the steak and let it bake for 30 minutes, basting occasionally. Turn the oven off and let it sit in the heat while you finish preparing the dish.
3. Bring a pot of water to boil and add cook the noodles according to package instructions. Save 1/4 cup of the pasta water and drain the rest, set noodles aside.
4. Slice the thick bottoms off of the bok choy, just 1/2 inch off the bottom should do the trick. Slice the bok choy in half and set aside. 
5. Heat a large saute pan to medium high heat. When the pan is hot drizzle in a 50/50 mix of canola and sesame oil, then immediately add the bok choy. Add the pasta water and let the bok choy simmer for 3-5 minutes, stirring often. Turn off the heat and use tongs to gently stir in the noodles and beef (pour in all the pan juices, that's the best part!).
6. Serve with soy sauce and sriracha for extra pizazz.