Bok Choy and Shrimp Soup

Last week’s CSA delivery included two, large bunches of bok choy.  Bok choy is not a vegetable with which I’m particularly familiar.  I knew enough to know what it was, but that’s about it.  The only memory of eating bok choy I could conjure was a really delicious soup with bok choy that used to be served in my college cafeteria (more than ten years ago, ahem).  So, after using the first bunch in a stir fry, I knew what I would have to try with the second bunch.

Luckily, I had a huge container of home-made vegetable broth at the ready!

2 carrots, chopped

½ large onion, chopped

2 cloves of garlic, chopped

1-inch diameter nub of fresh ginger, chopped

1 jalapeño pepper, chopped

1 large bunch of bok choy, chopped

1 teaspoon of olive oil

10-12 cups of low-sodium vegetable broth (preferably homemade!)

½ cup of low-sodium soy sauce or tamari

2 cups of cooked shrimp

3 tablespoons of spring (green) onions, chopped

Put the carrots, onion, garlic, and ginger in a pan with the olive oil and cook until the garlic and onions just start to brown.  Put the vegetable broth, soy sauce, bok choy, pepper, and the contents of the pan into a large pot.  Bring to a boil and then turn down to low, cooking for 30 minutes.

If you have raw shrimp, you can add them to the soup at the outset.  I had only the pre-cooked, frozen kind.  I defrosted them and set them aside to add when serving, so that they didn’t become overcooked.  Ditto for the delicate spring onions.

To serve, I put a few shrimp and a few pieces of spring onion in a bowl and ladled the soup over it.  The heat of the soup warmed the shrimp perfectly. 

I’m trying to watch my intake of carbohydrates, so I didn’t add any rice or noodles, but this soup would certainly be delicious served over either one.      

My husband loved it!  He had seconds and even inquired about the best way to bring it to work for lunch without making a mess.  [Freeze it in individual containers so that it’s solid and doesn’t slosh around during the commute, let it defrost during the morning in your lunch bag, and then heat it in the microwave.] 

Lemony Asparagus Quinoa

1 cup of (dry) quinoa, well rinsed

2 cups of low-sodium vegetable broth (preferably homemade!)

Juice of 2 lemons

2 tablespoons of olive oil

3 tablespoons chopped spring (green) onions

1 cup of asparagus, broken into 1-inch pieces (reserve tougher bottom pieces for another use)

I think quinoa is amazing because it “feels” like you’re eating a carb-tastic grain when you’re really eating a protein-packed seed.  You can cook it in water but, just like rice, it is more flavorful if cooked in vegetable broth. 

I had red quinoa on hand and used it for this dish, but any variety would do.  Set the quinoa and broth on the stove, cover, bring to a boil, and then reduce to low.  It will take about 15 minutes to cook.

In the meantime, whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, and spring onions in a small bowl to make a lemony dressing.  When the quinoa is done, put it into a large bowl and toss it with all of the dressing.  Add the asparagus and toss to combine.  Serve warm or cold (leftover) as a fresh-tasting, spring side dish that appropriately celebrates the arrival of asparagus.

Luck o' the Irish!

My name is Erin.  My favorite color is green.

You can see where this is going...

...Ireland!

Tonight's dinner feast was pork tenderloin, warm apple slaw, and colcannon.

I am amazed by how simple these dishes were to prepare, what a great use of fresh, seasonal vegetables (in February!) they were, and how tasty they turned out.

I was inspired by the recipes I found at The Irish Chef and Simply Recipes, as well as by an abundance of winter produce kicking around my countertop and fridge!

1-pound pork tenderloin
4-5 potatoes
20 Brussels sprouts
1 onion
2 apples
3 cups kale
3 green onions
3 tablespoons of honey
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 cup of milk
1/2 stick of butter
cracked black pepper

Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees.
Set a large pot of water on the stove to boil.

Rub the pork tenderloin with enough honey to coat (about 1-2 tablespoons).  Sprinkle with cracked black pepper.  Place on a greased baking sheet and put in the oven for 30-45 minutes, flipping halfway through.

Chop potatoes, shred Brussels sprouts, slice onion,  dice apples, rip kale, and cut green onions.

When the water comes to a boil, put the potatoes in and cook for 20 minutes.

In a skillet, put one tablespoon of olive oil.  Heat the oil over medium-high heat and then add the Brussels sprouts, onions, and apples.  Cook for about 5 minutes and then add 2 tablespoons of honey.  Cook for 5 more minutes.

Drain the potatoes.  Place potatoes in a large bowl with 1 cup of skim milk, half a stick of unsalted butter, kale, and green onions.  Mash together.

Slice the pork tenderloin into one-inch-thick pieces to serve.

The pork is tastiest when eaten with a forkful of the warm apple slaw and the colcannon makes a comfort-food side dish that is still packed with vitamins.

Here's the warm apple slaw:

And here's the colcannon:

I'm usually a big fan of spicy food, like Habanero Bison Chili.  I usually avoid food that is any way bland.  But there is something really nice about the subtle flavors of Irish food every now and then.

Especially because my name is Erin!