Stir Fry Pak Choi That’s Vegetarian, Gluten Free And Delicious.

I’ve noticed the past few months that there’s been an incredible amount of requests for more vegetarian and gluten free type recipes. As you may or may not know, a vast majority of the food we cook in the Caribbean are naturally gluten free and with the abundance of fresh vegetables, we’ve mastered vegetarian cooking (insert smile here). Maybe this will explain the teaser I gave in my current cookbook about the upcoming volume 3.

Here’s my take on a delicious way to enjoy pak choi (bok choi) that’s fully vegetarian and appetizing to everyone asking for gluten free recipes.

 

You’ll Need…

2 lbs baby pak choi
1 tablespoon veg oil
1 tablespoon gluten free soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon sesame oil (gluten free)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon finely diced ginger
2 cloves garlic finely diced

Optional – chopped peanuts, almonds.. or toasted sesame seeds

 

It’s important that you remove each leaf of the pak choi and wash them individually as they’re notorious for having dirt wedged between them. I’m using baby pak choi, but you can use the regular pak choi if you want, simply chop into large pieces. Drain well after washing and chopping.

Finely dice the garlic and ginger and get ready to cook. I used my medium sized wok, but you can use any wide sauce pan. Heat the oil on medium heat (feel free to use peanut oil if you wish) and add the garlic and ginger. Turn the heat down to low and cook for 1 minute – do NOT burn the garlic. Now go in with the pak choi and give it a good stir. It will wilt down, if you’re thinking your pan is too small.

Raise the heat back up to medium and add the other ingredients and stir well.

The goal here is to cook this at a high enough temperature to wilt the greens, but not to totally destroy them by overcooking. So all it took was about 5 minutes and they were perfect (for me).

You’ll notice that I didn’t add any salt as the soy sauce will have enough to season things nicely.. but you can taste near the end and adjust accordingly. For a bit more texture and added protein you can finish up with some chopped peanuts or almonds. Toasted sesame seeds are wonderful won this as well.

If you’re looking for a quick way to enjoy a tasty gluten free vegetarian dish, give this pak choi stir fry recipe a try.