Udon with Shiitakes & Braised Baby Bok Choy

Inspired by some beautiful baby bok choy that I found at the farmer's market today, here is an Asian noodle recipe that would be right at home in any homestyle Chinese, Japanese or Taiwanese meal. If you can only find full-sized bok choy, they will also work for this recipe.

Udon with Shiitake Mushrooms & Braised Baby Bok Choy

Two different styles of baby bok choy commonly available at farmer's or Asian markets:

Dry, thin, flat (top) and fresh, large, round (bottom) and  udon noodles:

Udon with Shiitakes

Cooking notes: The flavor of the noodles is best if you have a very high heat burner to use with wok cooking. I, unfortunately, do not have this at home. To try to achieve a bit of caramelization on the noodles, I preheat a large cast iron skillet instead. Even if you aren't able to caramelize the noodles, this dish is delicious. In the picture, above, I have used the flat, thin, dried udon noodles but the dish is best with the fresh, fat, round noodles.

Ingredients:

½ pound dried (or 1 pound fresh) udon noodles (large, round are best but any will work)

1 egg, beaten (optional)

1/4 cabbage, shredded

1 medium carrot, shredded or shaved into long strips

8 shiitake mushrooms, sliced thinly

1 shallot or ½ small red onion, chopped (1/4-inch dice)

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 Tablespoons untoasted sesame or peanut oil

Sauce Ingredients:

2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce

2 teaspoons vegetarian oyster sauce

1/4 teaspoon salt, optional

1 teaspoon sugar

2 teaspoon mirin

1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

2 Tablespoons water

Directions:

1. If using dried udon noodles, cook in boiling water for 2/3 the amount of time recommended on the package, then drain and run cold water over the noodles to stop the cooking. If using fresh noodles, just untangle noodles with your fingers (do not pre-cook). Set aside.
2. Mix together sauce ingredients; set aside.
3. In a hot wok or cast iron skillet over high heat, add 1 tablespoon of oil, shallot and garlic; stir briefly for a couple of seconds being careful not to let them brown. Add cabbage, carrot and mushrooms, stir-frying for 1-2 minutes.
4. Remove vegetables from pan and wipe out pan. Return to heat and add remaining tablespoon of oil. When hot add egg (if using) and noodles, stir-frying until heated through. If the noodles begin to stick add another teaspoon or two of oil.
5. Add veggies back to the pan along with the sauce and stir-fry over high heat until noodles just start to caramelize or until all ingredients are hot. If using a low-power burner, the noodles may never caramelize, but the dish will still be delicious. Do not cook more than 2 minutes.
6. Serve immediately. Great with braised baby bok choy. 

Serves: 4

Braised Baby Bok Choy

Ingredients:

1 pound baby bok choy (or full-sized if you can't find baby*)

Sauce Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce

2 teaspoons dark brown sugar

1 Tablespoon untoasted sesame or peanut oil

1 cup water

Directions:

1. Fill a large bowl with water and soak the whole baby bok choy fully submerged for about half an hour; swish the bok choy vigorously to remove as much dirt and debris as possible. Lift bok choy out of the bowl and into a colander; discard the soaking water.
2. Cut the very end of the stem off and then cut bok choy in half through the middle of the stem (the long way) so that all of the leaves remain attached.
3. In a Dutch oven or 6-8 liter stock pot*, bring sauce ingredients to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and add bok choy placing the stem ends directly into the liquid and standing the leaf ends up like flowers. Cover the pot and cook for 7 minutes*.
4. Serve immediately while hot.

Serves: 3-4

Serving suggestions: Goes well with any Chinese, Japanese or Taiwanese meals. I like to top Udon with Shiitakes with these Braised Baby Bok Choy to add some greens to the dish.

*Note: if using full-sized bok choy, cook in slightly smaller diameter pot (so that the bok choy will stand up) and cook for 10 minutes instead of 7.

Sweet Potato Greens—the undiscovered green (and cheap eat!)

Think spinach – but cheaper. Much cheaper. 

Sweet potato leaves as you might find them at a store or market*

At my local farmer’s market, I can get a full plastic grocery-sized bag of these sweet potato greens (which are literally just the green, above-ground part of the sweet potato plant) for $1.00.  When I compared the volume of plant-to-cost ratio of $2.99 per bunch spinach at Whole Foods, I would guess that I got 5 times the volume of plant. So, 5x $2.99= $14.95 at Whole Foods vs. $1 at my farmer's market.

That’s a savings of nearly $14 off the bat!

But wait, there’s more! For fully-grown adult spinach, you generally have to eat the leaves and either discard or separately cook the more fibrous stems to get something edible. The allure of spinach for most people is the leaves – a quick wilt in some olive oil, salt, and pepper—maybe some chopped garlic and crushed red pepper flakes with a squeeze of lemon at the end—and you’re done! Most people I know toss out the stems. They’re just not worth the extra effort to the non-foodie who’s not on a tight food budget.

Sweet potato greens are different. I took my kitchen shears and cut the stems midway. Basically, I cut off the largest, thickest part of the bottom of the stems, but left about 6 to 8-inches of stem attached to the leaves. I roughly chopped this (stems with leaves) and cooked as above for simple spinach. This is excellent with an over-medium egg (or sautéed tofu) and sprouted-grain toast for a complete and healthy breakfast.

What are SWEET POTATO GREENS?? Sweet potato greens are literally just the top of the sweet potato plant. The orange part in the picture is what you're used to seeing in a traditional market; it grows under the ground as a root. The greens that I talk about in this post are the green parts you see in this picture; they grow above ground. The greens are often discarded in the United States and most other countries who eat this prized tuber. In other places, like Thailand and Northeast China, they also eat the greens.

Sweet potato plant right after being pulled from the earth**

Taste is where it’s at!

The results were very similar. If you didn’t tell someone, they’d never know. By my palate, they have a little less bitterness than spinach. This is due to the lower oxalic acid content. Oxalic acid is compound found in many greens that contributes bitterness and inhibits calcium absorption. Bonus – get more of that calcium from the sweet potato greens! In a hearty portion, you’ll also get 3-4 grams of protein, some iron, fiber, vitamin C and vitamin A.

Price check in: You can chop and cook the thicker stems, just like adult spinach and have little to no waste.

Recipe Recommendations: Use anywhere you’d use spinach leaves

o   Salads

o   A couple of handfuls raw into smoothies

o   Spinach enchiladas

o   Pasta

o   Cooked first then added to wood-fired pizza

o   Simple Sautéed spinach

o   Palak recipes (Indian recipes using spinach)

o   Quiche

o   Soups

o   Wilted/Warm Spinach Salads

o   Casseroles

o   Spinach Dip

I ate my breakfast too quickly to take a pic! Another delicious sweet potato greens saute pic #

Wrap-up:

For the life of me, I cannot figure out why more people don’t eat these greens! Clearly, availability is a big issue in the United States, but we have plenty of sweet potatoes. All it would take to get greens more widely available would be for people to start asking for them at grocers and farmer’s markets. Who wouldn’t want to make money on something that they generally throw away?

Next time you’re at a farmer’s market or Asian market, look out for sweet potato greens, try something new, improve your health and save some $$!

*Photo credit: Thaifoodandtravel.com

**Photo credit: ces.ncsu.edu

#Photo credit:  www.greenthumbish.net

Quick Tips: Tangerine Season

It's citrus season - the time of year when the juiciest oranges, lemons, limes, mandarins, pomelos, grapefruits and tangerines can be found. The season generally runs through late fall until spring. In addition to having the tastiest citrus fruit this time of year, it is also the cheapest part of the year to buy.

Just-picked Tangerines

Budget tip: buying seasonally usually means you're getting produce at the time of year that it's least expensive.

If your only exposure to fruits and vegetables is a traditional American supermarket, it's difficult to tell what is and is not in season. The best gauge in that situation is to look at prices regularly. As prices on certain items start to dip, that's a good indication that there's a surplus on the market...or the store just needs to get rid of that item. 

At least once a season, I suggest looking online in your area to get a sense of what is truly in-season. In the late spring, summer and early fall, you can also go to farmer's markets to see for yourself and support your local farmers. Another great seasonal way to eat and support local farms is to buy a farm share or sign up for a CSA (community-supported agriculture). The basic idea behind these are to pay money ahead to a farmer, so that they have a sense of what monetary resources they can depend on for the season, and then the farmer gives you a weekly allotment of fresh-from-the ground fruits and vegetables. To learn more about farm shares and CSA, check out the post My First Foray into CSA. 

Nutrition: 1 large tangerine has about 60 calories, 12 grams of naturally-occurring sugars, 2 grams fiber, 1/2 your daily vitamin C requirement, as well as a small amount of calcium, folate, B vitamins, vitamin A and potassium. 

Radish Enoki Avocado Tangerine Salad - YUM!
Find this gorgeous picture (credit Yunhee Kim) and recipe from the book, Feast, at Serious Eats

Chef tips: These are the easiest to peel citrus fruit! Look for fruit that is slightly heavy for its size with pebbly skin and no deep grooves (i.e. the one in the center of the picture above has deep grooves and if purchasing, you should avoid that one) and no signs of soft spots or mold. Tangerines taste best eaten at room temperature and will last about a week sitting out in a bowl. Refrigerate if you plan to keep them longer, but let them warm to room temperature before eating for the tastiest fruit. 

Tangerines are great for a quick snack or to slice and put in green or fruit salads. Use segments as a garnish. The juice is fantastic in custard desserts, sorbets, cocktails, marinades and quick breads. The zest is also great in quick breads (muffins, scones, pancakes, breads). The peel can be boiled in sugar syrup to candy it. This can be eaten as is or dipped in dark or white chocolate for a decadent treat. Whole tangerine peel is also used in marmalade and in Szechuan cuisine.

*To learn how to zest citrus fruit, check out the end of this post .

Health Research: Tangerines and other citrus fruits contain many anti-oxidants and phytonutrients that have been shown to have anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties. Studies in the last few years have looked at a flavonoid called nobiletin which has been shown in mice to reduce atherosclerosis (plaque and blockages in blood vessels), fatty liver, prevent weight gain and keep blood sugar in the normal range (reduce insulin resistance) compared to mice who where given the same diet and living conditions but no nobiletin. More research is needed in people, but preliminary studies suggest that this compound could play a role in prevention and treatment of breast cancer and liver cancer as well as treatment of depression. Further studies are being conducted on all of the above as well as in Alzheimer's disease.