Bok choy with cranberries and sun-dried tomatoes

I am always interested in trying new vegetables. I especially love going to ethnic stores and looking at their produce section, where there’s often a good selection of vegetables I won’t find at Cub Foods or Rainbow.
The problem is I never know what to do with them. I often can’t even tell what the vegetable is, because the names are written in a different language, let alone know how to prepare the food.
Sometimes, when I don’t mind being annoying, I’ll ask store employees to tell me what I am looking at and how to prepare it.
“Just boil, boil,” is a typical response at Asian grocery stores. However, I suspect the food in question isn’t just boiled. It is probably cooked in a wok and seasoned with peanut oils, chili powder and soy sauce for flavor.
I had tried bok choy (a variety of Chinese cabbage) before, but never cooked it. During a recent trip to Shuang Hur Supermarket (on University Ave. 651-251-2196) I saw bok choy for 99 cents a pound. I paid $1.53 for 1.5 lb of the green leafy vegetable that resembles miniature heads of romaine lettuce. It yielded four meals. I estimate the cost of each meal at $3.
I sautéed the cabbage, which tastes like spinach, in sesame oil and soy sauce. I added cooked sun-dried tomatoes and cranberries to the dish and it was delish! This meal can be prepared in less than 10 minutes, which is another bonus.
See the full recipe at Momentous Occasions by Natasha.

Shrimp in Asian peanut sauce

Seafood is very versatile and is a prominent food is many cuisines. My CTO (chief tasting officer) is a fan of Asian foods and loves peanut sauce, so I often find myself experimenting with peanut butter, peanut oils and soy sauce to incorporate the flavors into our meals.

I developed this easy recipe a few days ago and it got rave reviews. It takes 15-20 minutes to cook this meal and trust me, there won't be leftovers.

Find the full recipe on Momentous Occasions by Natasha.

Turkey Taco Pockets

Ground beef is often used in tacos, empanadas and enchiladas. But people often overlook using ground turkey as a substitute in these meals. I recently got a pound of ground turkey on sale at Cub for 99 cents. I thought about making traditional tacos or chili with the meat, but opted to make my own version of tacos instead. I used fresh tortillas instead of store-bought taco shells because they are less expensive and contain less calories and salt.
Check out Momentous Occasions for the full recipe.