Baby Pak Choy aka Chinese Cabbage

Many months ago we planted baby pak choy seedlings after sprouting them indoors.  Since then, they have flourished and I can hardly keep up with consuming them before they turn to flower!  My kids have taken to eating parts of it raw, right out of the garden.  (I prefer it sauteed a bit!)

Baby pak choy is a variety of Chinese cabbage; most of us have probably heard of bok choy.  This amazing vegetable has been around for thousands of years, highly sought after for its' medicinal purposes.

Anyway, it's jam-packed full of Vitamins A & C, which helps prevent disease.  It also contains folate, Vitamin K, calcium and potassium.

There are several ways to cook baby pak choy (boil, steam...), but my favorite is to simply saute it.  This little plant is amazing because it grows fairly quickly and cooks up in no time at all!  And I'm all about quick!

                                          


Sauteed Baby Pak Choy

serves 4

4 bunches of baby pak choy (or whatever variety you prefer)

1 1/2 tsp. sesame oil

1 Tb. extra-virgin olive oil

1-2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 lemon, juiced

sea salt & pepper to taste

Heat sesame oil over medium heat in saute pan.  Add cleaned/dried baby pak choy, giving it a little stir so it's coated with sesame oil.  Add minced garlic.  Saute 3-4 minutes, turning throughout.  (It should still be bright green but the leaves should be tender and slightly wilted now.)

Transfer to serving plate and drizzle with olive oil, lemon juice and season with salt and pepper.  

(Obviously, if you're serving this to little ones, be sure to cut it up small enough for easy bites as it can be tough to chew.  Older kids may like to eat it whole with their hands and bite off pieces.)

PS The cute little edible flowers are super fun for kids to decorate their plates with and then eat!