Baby Bok Choy & Pork Stir Fry

Hunger is a great motivator.
Its how a few simple ingredients get transformed into wonderful awe inspiring dishes.
Its when you have a spark of inspiration. Its when you don't settle for a plain sandwich.
And that is exactly what happened a few days ago.
    I wasn't sure what I was going to make, but I had an idea. So I open the fridge and started grabbing an assortment of different ingredents. I grabbed some baby bok choy, fresh ginger, soy sauce, and a boneless pork chop and I was ready. I made the stir fry again today, but this time I actually kept track of the what  I added. My dad even ate some...(well only 4 bites). He is more of a steak and potato guy-not a homemade chinese takeout sort of guy. I actually don't know if he has ever eaten chinese take out. And seeing as we don't get takeout around here then I don't think he ever will. And I think that is fine by him.
    Cooking your own chinese at home gives you the opportunity to add the ingredients you prefer, keep track of the sodium levels, and gives you the chance to "wow" others when you say that you made your own chinese food, even though you know how easy it really was.
   One thing I like about this recipe is the sauce. Its thick enough to coat the noodles and veg, but its not that sticky goopy stuff that more and more chinese places serve nowadays. We had a chinese place open here in our town and what do you think we got when our plates arrived? A plate a thick sticky sauce,a little veggies, and even less meat. Needless to say that was the first and last time we ate there.

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Am I the only one who starts randomly writing out recipes when I get an idea?

Maybe.

Sometime, its not even a recipe, but a list of ingredients that I think would make a good meal.

Anyway....back to the food.

This is what baby bok choy looks like. They look kinda big, but it was a small cutting board.
You will want to cut off the ends (and trim off some of the green if it is old) and separate the leaves before cutting them into strips. place them in a strainer or bowl and run water over them to remove any grit or dirt.

I used 4 baby carrots. I cut them in half and them sliced them into matchsticks

Cut the pork into thin strips

These are rice noodles that my mom got when she went to the Hong Kong Market Place

Here is what they look like before they are cooked.

In a cold skillet, add the oil,garlic, and ginger. Turn the heat to medium high.
If you add garlic to hot oil you run the risk of burning the garlic and giving you food a bitter taste.

After cooking the pork and carrots, add in the bok choy...

and then the sauce. This is when I add the red pepper flakes.

Once the stir fry is done, add in the cooked noodles and serve.

YUM!

Baby Bok Choy & Pork Stir Fry

Created by Rayna of Curious Country Cook

serves: 2

• 6-8 oz. pork lion
• 1/2 cp carrots, sliced
• 1/2 tsp fresh ginger, grated
• 6 oz. baby bok choy
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 tsp. vegetable oil
• 2 tsp corn starch
• 3/4 tsp sugar
• 1 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
• pinch of red pepper flakes
• rice noodles, cooked (optional)

1. In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch, sugar,water, and soy sauce.

2. Cut the end off of the bok choy and slice the leaves lengthwise into 1/2 inch wide strips. Put the bok choy in a collinder and run under water to remove any dirt or grit. set aside.

3. Slice the carrots into matchsticks. Cut the pork into thin strips. Finely dice or grate the garlic and ginger.

4. In a large skillet or wok, add the oil, ginger, and garlic. Heat the skillet medium high and add the pork. Cook the pork for 3 minutes before add in the carrots.Cook for another 5 minutes.

5. Add the bok choy, the soy sauce mixture and the red pepper flakes into the skillet and toss with the pork and carrots. Cover with a lid or foil and cook for 5 minutes or until the bok choy is wilted and the sauce is thick.

6. Rice Noodles: Cook according to the package, drain, and set aside.Toss the cooked noodles into the skillet and serve.

 Note: If you didn't have rice noodles, you could substitute in thin spaghetti or you could serve it over rice.