Baby Bok Choy with Cashews -- What I Make When Someone I Love Needs to Eat

End of August. School Wednesday. Lucas in second grade with a new backpack. Isabella in first grade with the same backpack as last year. Camila in kindergarten. Mateo in pre-K. Andrés at home with Jenny still. The grandchild generation marching forward.

Tuesday food bank: arroz con pollo. Routine.

Wednesday I had Cocina cohort 6 first night. Twenty-six new students. Same opening. Same arroz blanco. The class was the class. A new TA was there — a woman named Rita who had been in cohort 4, who I had asked to apprentice. She was quiet, careful, observant. She would TA cohort 6 and then potentially lead the North End satellite when it opened.

Thursday Mami had a long lucid morning. We watched the news together. She commented on the weather report. She said, "Carmen, the heat is letting go. Fall is coming." I said, "Mami, yes." She said, "Carmen, this fall might be my last." I said, "Mami." She said, "Carmen, I am not promising. I am noting. The body knows things." I said, "Mami." She said, "Carmen, do not be sad in the moment. Be sad later. In the moment, eat with me." I made us soup. We ate together. Wepa.

The soup I made for Mami that Thursday was not a recipe I follow anymore — it’s just something my hands know. But the dish I come back to when I want that same quality — fast, quiet, something you can put on the table without fuss while the person you love is still in the room — is this one. Baby bok choy with cashews. It takes twenty minutes. It asks almost nothing of you. And it sits on the table looking like you meant it.

Baby Bok Choy with Cashews

Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 10 min | Total Time: 20 min | Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 4 heads baby bok choy, halved lengthwise and rinsed
• 1/2 cup raw cashews
• 1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
• 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
• Salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Toast the cashews. In a dry skillet over medium heat, toast the cashews for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring frequently, until lightly golden and fragrant. Remove from pan and set aside.
2. Mix the sauce. In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, and honey. Set aside.
3. Sear the bok choy. Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat until shimmering. Place the bok choy halves cut-side down in a single layer and cook undisturbed for 2 to 3 minutes, until the cut sides are golden and beginning to caramelize.
4. Add aromatics. Flip the bok choy. Add the garlic and ginger to the pan and cook for 30 seconds, stirring around the bok choy, until fragrant.
5. Finish with sauce. Pour the sauce over the bok choy and toss gently to coat. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes more, until the bok choy is tender but still has a little bite and the sauce has reduced slightly. Season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes if using.
6. Serve. Transfer to a serving plate, scatter the toasted cashews over the top, and serve immediately.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 170 | Protein: 5g | Fat: 13g | Carbs: 10g | Fiber: 2g | Sodium: 430mg