By Stephanie Wharton
Bok Choy goes by many names: bok choy, pak choi, pichay, petsay, or pok choi. It’s a delicious Chinese cabbage and very easy to cook with, especially in stir fry dishes, soups and rice/noodle bowls. I prefer to halve or chop bok choy and for obvious reasons, prefer to use them mostly in Asian inspired dishes. The leaves are similar to the taste of spinach and the stems and bulb are slightly bitter and crunchy and very delicious. Minced ginger and garlic could easily be added to this dish if you’d prefer a more authentic taste. Additionally, soy sauce could easily be used in place of the coconut aminos (which taste nothing like coconuts). However, it’s important to note that soy sauce has a significant higher sodium content and also contains gluten and soy.
Ingredients
2 cups jasmine rice
4 cups water
1 tbsp coconut oil
½ tsp salt plus more to taste
2 tbsp avocado oil
3 heads bok choy, halved lengthwise
16 oz mushrooms, sliced
¼ cup coconut aminos
Sesame seeds for topping Instructions
1. In a pressure cooker, place the rice, water, coconut oil, and ½ tsp of salt together in the pot and with the valve sealed, press the “Rice” button or 12 minutes of low pressure. Allow the valve to naturally release. *Alternatively, you can cook the rice on the stovetop as well, it will just take longer. Follow the directions on the package for time suggestions.
2. Meanwhile, drizzle the avocado oil in a pan over medium high heat. Add the coconut aminos, then the bok choy - cut face down. Turn the bok choy every two minutes until all sides are golden brown and slightly caramelized. Remove from the pan and without cleaning, immediately add the sliced mushrooms. 3. Cook for 5-7 minutes until mushrooms are golden brown and caramelized. At the onset of cooking the mushrooms, you may need to add 1-2 tbsp of water to help lift them from the surface and absorb the tamari and avocado oil mixture the bok choy left behind. 4. Once the mushrooms are done, add the bok choy back to the pan to quickly reheat for about one minute. 5. To plate, scoop one cup of rice into a bowl and then top with the mushrooms, bok choy, and a sprinkle of sesame seeds. Enjoy!