Baby bok choy

I’m posting this cause it’s a rarity: yummy greens. Not only that, these greens I would eat over a burger any day. You heard right, Tash is officially crazy.

The ingredients are cheap, the food is fast and it makes you feel good afterwards.

Get cracking on:

  • A dash of sesame oil
  • 1 teaspoon grated ginger
  • as much baby bok choy as you please. Remember that it shrinks down to 1/3 of the size.
  • 1/4 cup water
  • chopped coriander (cilantro), sesame seeds or anything else.
  • cooked rice, kept warm.

for the killer sauce:

  • 4 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1/4 cup oyster sauce
  • 1/2 lemon, juiced
  • 1 teaspoon sugar, brown or white
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  1. Put all of the sauce ingredients into a small pan and start it on a low heat.
  2. Get a bigger pot and splash the sesame oil into it. Grate the ginger into the sizzling oil. Add the baby bok choy. Stir every now and again for a minute.
  3. Mix the sauce, it should start to thicken.
  4. Add the water to the bok choy, bung the lid on and it’s going to steam for four minutes.
  5. The sauce should be thicker, take it off the stove and let it cool a little.
  6. Get your rice plated. As fast as possible, pull out the bok choy, cover it in the magic sauce and serve.

You need to eat this as hot as possible, otherwise it gets limp, cold and not so yummy.

Tip: You can buy ginger in bulk, peel them, shove it in a ziploc and put in the freezer. Grate straight out of the freezer as needed.

Another tip? Oh ok: Buy most of these ingredients at your local Chinese store, it’s cheaper, fresher and you get more.

The sesame oil on the left cost $7 from a Chinese market, the one on the right cost $14 from Safeway (Woolworths)

The sesame oil on the left cost $7 from a Chinese market, the one on the right cost $14 from Safeway (Woolworths)




Balsamic glazed strawberries

Balsamic vinegar has a sharp tart flavour but this draws out the sweetness in the freshly sliced strawberries, add a tablespoon of sugar and the whole thing caramelises to give you a rich sauce.

Balsamic vinegar has a sharp tart flavour but this draws out the sweetness in the freshly sliced strawberries, add a tablespoon of sugar and the whole thing caramelises to give you a rich sauce.

Run to the shops and grab these items:

  • 2 cups strawberries, washed and sliced in half
  • 1 tablespoon good balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  1. Wash then cut the strawberries in half. Remove the tops.
  2. Add the balsamic vinegar and sugar. Mix very gently.
  3. Leave to sit for 45 minutes at room temperature.

I normally make the strawberries before I make pancakes, so that way they’re done around the same time. Or, if you want to be really decadent, put seven grapes at the bottom of a wine glass, fill with strawberries and top with whipped cream. A fancy and healthy breakfast. Yum.

Check out the juices at the bottom of the bowl. Drizzle it over pancakes or a scone and you're in heaven.

For those of you enjoying Summer, take full advantage of the abundance of strawberries. As for me, Winter is just ending so I’m making frozen strawberry smoothies to pass the time.




Gemma’s List

Gemma Palmer is a writer and blogger living in Brisbane, Australia.

Here’s her shopping list. I think someone made killer sushi that night.

For those of you who want to know what this is all about, read this.

Send your shopping lists to tash@littleflutters.com. Join in the fun.




TASHOSAURUS REX

  • profile

    Tash, despite her heritage, never ate Sri Lankan food, an odd idiosyncrasy that was indulged because she was the first child.

    To date, she can't eat remotely spicy foods.

    Thus, from the age of 12, Tash cooked every form of potato; mashed, baked, hash browns, potato pancakes. She's moved on since then, but still has to get a potato hit every couple of days.

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