I had promised "Small Daddy," my teacher and coach ever since I started this blog in 2007, that I would cook more wholesome food for my family of two (my husband and I). Since I consider vegetable cookery a huge production, I was up to the task of reinventing the art of practical cooking on-the-go.
This is how I developed my penchant for soups, stews, and casseroles. After having lost over five inches from my belly since April of 2009 just by modifying my eating habits, I am determined to keep the weight off.
Today, I am smiling almost like a Lewis Carroll's Cheshire Cat. "Small Daddy" is always right. I feel better after cooking my Bok Choy Soup for the Soul, perfection times 10.
Bok Choy is also known as Chinese Cabbage. Very popular in Chinese cuisine, I don't buy it often unless someone takes me to a huge ethnic supermarket such as Assi Plaza or Super H Mart in Illinois. Ron Salazar is one "foodie" friend who enjoys bringing me out to try neighborhood markets where there is an abundant supply of culturally-diverse ingredients for my intuitive culinary tastes.
Today, my Bok Choy Soup for the Soul is the panacea for my personal challenges. The soup will last me for a few days while I study for my life insurance licensing exam. The thought of Bok Choy Soup as my kick-starter to success warms my heart and allows me to scream inside my head, "I am unstoppable! I am fearless! Watch me, World!"
Bok Choy has a slightly peppery taste and a crunchy "feel." When garnished with fresh-sliced tomatoes, the soup acquires a Filipino "Sinigang" type of flavor.
Some of the recipe's ingredients are peppered with memories of "who gave what" and "how I came to buy this." There Vinicius, my Brazilian friend who gave me the vegetable broth, Knorr's Potinho de Caldo, Legumes. Josephine, the Illinois-based friend gifted me with the Green Onion Miso Soup Mix after a conference. The Ionique Spectra Salt that Ben Menor had turned me on to has only half the sodium of regular salt, boosted by trace minerals (and if you want to buy it, please email me at LornaDietzPR@gmail.com). My new bottle of black peppercorns (with a built-in grinder) was a purchase during a field trip with Ron Salazar and Andy Gaston to Fresh Farms International Market.
From my house to your house, here is my "Bok Choy Soup for the Soul." May it motivate you to keep aiming for your higher good!
Ingredients:
4 bunches of Bok Choy (enough to fill 3/4's of a 4-quart pot, a 16-cup capacity), about 1 foot long per bunch
2 tbsps. equivalent of fresh ginger, pared, then sliced into half-inch cubes
14 cups of water (to reach 3/4's of the pot)
1/2 cup of finely-diced onions (use a food processor or Cuisinart; prepare ahead of time, then freese until ready to use)
1 cube of vegetable broth OR 1 packet of Brazilian Potinho de Caldo (Legumes) by Knorr
1/4 cup of sliced leftover meat such as roast turkey, chicken, beef, or fish
2 small foil packets of fresh miso paste from any Miso Soup mix, approximately a total of 2 to 3 tbsps., to taste
2 squirts of Ionique Spectra salt (or salt to taste)
A few grinds of black pepper
Procedure:
1. Rinse and slice the bok choy (including the stems) into 1/2-inch portions.
2. Transfer the sliced bok choy into a 4-quart cooking vessel. Add the cubed ginger and diced onions.
3. Add the Brazilian Potinho de Caldo and mix thoroughly.
4. Add about 14 cups water to fill 3/4's of the pot.
5. Cook over medium heat for about 25 minutes.
6. At this point, add 1/4 cup of sliced meat (leftovers are desirable).
7. Add the contents of two small packets of miso paste.
8. Simmer for another 10 minutes over low heat.
9. Squirt Ionique Spectra Salts (two times) or add salt to taste.'
10. Grind some black pepper to taste.
11. Slice some tomatoes to garnish over each bowl of soup.
Note: My husband likes to spike his soup with a little more salt and tabasco sauce.
Here's a YouTube video I found about Vinicius's favorite Potinho de Caldo (Legumes) by Knorr.
