Dumplings with Spicy Ginger Pork and Bok Choy

 

We joined a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) this year.  After a less than stellar experience MANY years ago we decided to give it another whirl.  The fact that we pay a delivery fee and the veggies show up on our front porch is a super double bonus.  Market Wagon (the folks doing the delivery) majorly muffed the first week.  I was SO disappointed to miss all the goodies.  Particularly since I had my eye on a bag of pork and leek dumplings and a pound of frozen ground pork to go with the bok choy.  Well, we got lucky.  Week two Michael (the farmer) included TWO bok choys. 

I’d gone on eatyourbooks.com to look at ingredient lists and the closest thing I could find was a recipe on the New York Times recipe site called Spicy Ginger Pork Noodles with Bok Choy.   It’s by Melissa Clark, whose recipes I normally love.  This one wasn’t an exception!  Although I’ll admit that I made some major changes.

Connie declared that the only reason this wasn’t a five for him was that it had some SOUP to it.  Soup, stew, whatever means it’s automatically downgraded.  That’s ok, I still gave it a five!

One funny story…  When I prepped my ingredients I did the normal quick rinse of the bok choy.  I ignored the fact that this was wonderful organic stuff and not from the store.  Then, I found a ton of dirt and a worm.  Ok, time to take it all apart and really turn on the cold water.  How lovely it was to have some fabulous fresh food!!!  I’m looking forward to our weekly baskets so much!

Ingredients:

12 oz baby bok choy

1 pound lean ground pork

3 large cremini mushrooms, cut in half and then very thinly sliced

1 T crushed ginger (I used the jarred)

2 T soy sauce

2 T rice wine vinegar

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

Large pinch crushed red pepper

1 bag dumplings (I used pork, shrimp and leek)

2 c chicken stock

1 T olive oil

2 T green onions, chopped

1 T soy sauce

1 T sesame oil

1 medium carrot, shaved

¼ c basil, chiffonade

 

Directions: 

Separate the bok choy greens from the stems.  Chop them both about ½”.  Set aside. 

In a medium saucepan, brown the ground pork.  Just before it’s finished (when it’s no longer pink) add in the mushrooms.  When the pork is browned, remove it from the heat and add the crushed ginger, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, garlic and crushed red pepper.  

Prepare the dumplings according to the package directions. 

Warm the chicken stock. 

Sauté the bok choy in the olive oil.  Start with the stems and once they’re softened a bit, add in the greens.  

Now, it’s time to put everything together. 

In the bottom of each bowl put five dumplings.  In the center of the dumplings put a spoonful of bok choy followed by a spoonful of the pork mixture.  Ladle on ½ c of chicken broth per bowl.  Sprinkle with the carrot, basil and green onion.  Drizzle on the additional soy sauce and the sesame oil. 

 

Adapted from Melissa Clark on the New York Times

Asian Halibut with Bok Choy and Eggplant with Peanut Sauce

My 99 cents find is managing to leave all the other cookbooks in the dust!  The Frugal Foodie Cookbook was published in 1999 by a couple who had a blog of the same name.  At one point they moved from BlogSpot to WordPress.  Now, all I can find is the old BlogSpot blog.  So, I'm hoping it's because they found themselves with wonderful, busy careers and a couple of kids and they just don't have time to blog anymore.  We've made two more dishes from the cookbook and both were clearly a five.  And, we've got a couple dozen more that I've listed to try.  Actually, I'm blogging instead of doing my grocery list for the week.  I like to have my menus and grocery list done by Friday but that wasn't happening this week.  A very dear friend had a house fire.  She's in the burn ICU and her house is going to need a lot of help.  Her brother is down in Louisville so we'll be the point people for heading there every day and checking out the progress.  She's doing better and may actually have her breathing tube out by today so she can talk.  It's going to be a long and rocky road!

Well, let's get back to happier news.  Like good recipes.  The most recent recipe was for a dinner party.  I managed to snap a photo as I was cooking the halibut but not as I plated it.  The goal was to get dinner on the table while warm :-)  Along with the halibut I made our new favorite salad - Endive with Blackberries and Blue Cheese.  For dessert - super simple angel food cake with frozen berries, whipped cream and toasted almonds.  I whirred the berries with a bit of liqueur in the food processor and added a bit of the same liqueur to the whipped cream.  But, the star of the show was the halibut.  This was a restaurant quality recipe.  And, shockingly, I made it almost as written.  I know, that never happens.  LOL  I'd not had the recipe handy when I made the grocery list for Connie.  So, I had him get a head of bok choy.  I used four big leaves instead of the baby bok choys.  And, we were out of lime juice so I subbed in lemon juice.  The recipe said four servings would run $27.  Wrong.  The halibut alone was $56.82.  But, it was worth every bite.

Halibut with Warm Mushroom Salad

Ingredients

6 head baby bok choy, leaves separated and washed
1/2 c water
4 T soy sauce
4 T white wine
2 t fresh ginger, minced
2 lbs halibut, divided into four pieces

for the mushroom salad:

4 T olive oil
6 c mixed mushrooms, coarsely chopped
4 T white wine
1/2 c soy sauce
6 T rice wine vinegar
1 T fresh ginger, minced
2 T chives, chopped very finely
juice of one lime

Directions:

In a large skillet - preferably one that has a lid - lay the bok choy.  Let it steam uncovered for a few minutes until it's softened just a bit.  While it's steaming, make the sauce with the soy sauce, white wine and ginger.  Then, lay a piece of fish on each leaf or piece of bok choy.  Pour the sauce over, cover and steam until the fish is flaky - about 6 minutes.  In another skillet, heat the olive oil then sauté the mushrooms.  Make the dressing and set it aside.  To plate the dish, put a fish filet with it's bok choy in the center of the plate.  Scatter some warm mushroom salad over then pour on some of the mushroom salad dressing.


The other recipe we made was for Japanese eggplant with a peanut butter sauce.  Connie got kind of a funny look on his face when he started eating it.  I said, "What's up?"  He said, "This is turd sauce."  I'm thinking ooops, he really doesn't like this stuff.  Then, he goes on to say, "You could put this on a turd and it'd taste good."  Ok then, we have turd sauce.  I'm still laughing at that one!!!

Japanese Eggplant with Peanut Soy Sauce

Ingredients:

2 eggplants, cut lengthwise into 1 1/2" thick slices
2 T peanut butter (I used crunchy since that's what we have on hand)
1 1/2 T soy sauce
1 1/2 T sake (or dry white wine)
1/2 t sugar
1/4 t chipotle chili powder

Directions:

The recipe called for steaming the eggplant slices in the microwave for 2-3 minutes, then rinsing under cold water to stop the cooking.  Then, it called for mixing the sauce in a small saucepan on medium heat for five minutes.  I first tried grilling the eggplant and when that didn't work, I sautéed it.  Next time I'll steam it! 

Bok Choy with Chile and Garlic

We got some baby bok choy in the last CSA box of the season.  It was ideal for a side dish with the stir fried chicken and celery.  And, as luck would have it, I'd seen a new recipe in the most recent Everyday Living. 


Now, I've never been a huge fan of bok choy.  It's a tad too bitter for my taste.  But, we had it and it needed to be used up so I did so.


What did we think?  We wanted more chicken and celery and less bok choy.  This was actually great if you like bok choy.  It's super easy to fix and looks great on the plate.  I'm just not a fan...


Bok Choy with Chile and Garlic


Ingredients:

1 T olive oil or vegetable oil
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 1/2 lbs baby bok choy, washed and separated
1/4 t red pepper flakes
1/2 t sesame oil


Directions:

Heat the oil in a large skillet.  Add the garlic cloves. 

Stir for about 10 seconds until they're fragrant.  Add the bok choy and cook until the leaves are wilted.  That'll take about 4 minutes.  Add the red pepper flakes and sesame oil. 

Toss to combine.  Serve with the liquid on the bok choy.   

adapted from Everyday Food