Braised Asian Greens

Last week we got a few bunches of bok choy and tatsoi that I didn't get around to until last night. Some friends brought over an excellent and simple bok choy dish last week that I really enjoyed, but my preparation didn't turn out much like theirs. First, my bunches weren't quite as "baby" as theirs, so I separated the leaves instead of leaving them whole. Since there was plenty of dirt at the bunches' bases that didn't come out with soaking, this turned out to be a good idea.

I sauteed the leaves in a bit of olive oil over fairly high heat for a bit, then added a splash of water and a dash of salt and covered the pan. I let the leaves steam for a while, then added three drops of fish sauce, a dash of sesame oil, and a splash of rice vinegar. In deference to the chief taster's tastes, I steamed them a bit longer than I might otherwise have, and was worried that they'd be too limp, but they turned out just fine really.

The entire bag of bok choy and tatsoi turned out to be just enough for the two of us when prepared this way. This preparation is quick and doesn't mind if you don't bother to carefully measure ingredients or cooking time.