Bok Choy 'Bolognese'
Hsiao-Ching Chou
Author's Note: For the month of November, I am participating in NaBloPoMo (National Blog Post Month) and pledge to post once a day.
"Mama, what's for dinner?" my kids asked.
"Noodles," I said.
"Awww," my son said.
"What do you mean by awww?"
This is the latest reflexive response for everything, it seems.
"Let's go get you some new boots, Meilee."
"Awww."
"I just said I'm going to buy you new boots and your response is 'awww?' Are we in the Twilight Zone?"
Despite the protest, I made stir-fried noodles. I wanted to play on the idea of making a bolognese: browned meat, savory vegetables, a little liquid and tomato paste. My flavor palette included Chinese sausage, carrots, green onions, ginger and baby bok choy. These were ingredients I had on hand. I could have added a few other ingredients – diced shiitake mushrooms, chile pepper, for example – but I've been streamlining the dishes I cook to determine the minimum number of ingredients needed to still create good flavor.
This would have been great with some smoked ham steak. Or just some minced chicken. I could have made it a vegetarian dish by using dried tofu (dofu gan). It's a flexible method.
Bok Choy 'Bolognese'
Serves 4
1 cup diced Chinese sausage
3/4 cup diced carrots
2 stalks green onions, finely chopped
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
2 generous cups roughly chopped baby bok choy
1-1/2 cups water
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 pound dried thin Chinese noodles, cooked
Optional: sesame oil, white pepper or chili sauce
Heat the wok over high heat. Turn down the heat to low and add the sausage. Let cook for 1-2 minutes, while stirring constantly to prevent burning. Add the carrots, onions and ginger and combine well. Bring heat back up to about medium-high. Stir fry for about 1 minute. Add a dash of the water, if necessary. Then add the bok choy and stir. Add the rest of the water and soy sauce. Stir fry to combine. Let simmer for 1-2 minutes, stirring often. Add the cooked noodles. Turn down the heat, if necessary, as you stir and mix the noodles with the sauce. If needed, use tongs to help incorporate the noodles and sauce. Optional: Add a drizzle of sesame oil and white pepper to taste. Or, add chili sauce to taste. Alternatively, you can serve with the chili sauce on the side.