Ginger Garlic Bok Choy with Cashews

Today’s bok choy recipe is a crunchy/salty/spicy/nutrient-dense delight.  Before we get into that, though, let’s finish up last week’s discussion on the glory of seasonal eating.

Your body is so smart!  It does the things you need it to do, like sweating and breathing, all on its own.  You’re wonderful, but those processes require zero input from you.

We have a very masculine approach to diet in the Western World.  It involves using our heads and making calculations (or asking an iPhone app to do it for us) about what and how much and when to eat.  As a culture, we’ve completely lost touch with the wisdom of our bodies.

This is not working.  We have more information from experts than ever before, and access any food at any time.  But we are fatter and more miserable than we have ever been.

For those of you searching for a magic bullet that is going to fix the problem, you don’t need one.  You just need to remove the blocks that are keeping your body’s natural state of wellness from shining through.  You do this by listening to it, rather than demanding that it do your bidding.

This can be a very big task when you’ve been ignoring your body’s requests for so long.  Don’t worry, you will get there. A very easy, tangible first step to getting out of the way of your own well being is by incorporating some seasonal foods into your diet.

Just like your body, the Earth is a brilliant system that runs beautifully on her own.  The seasons change and the waves of the ocean roll no matter what we do.  By eating in a way that honors her wisdom rather than the wisdom of Cosmo or Jenny Craig, you move your body gently toward its own natural rhythm.

PLUS if you eat seasonally, then you get to eat this tasty, quick, healthy baby bok choy recipe right now.  Regardless of how you feel about me getting philosophical about produce, I am certain that you, your body, Mother Earth, your iPhone, and Dr. Oz will all agree that this dish is awesome.

Ginger Garlic Bok Choy with Cashews

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 bunch bok choy or 8 bunches baby bok choy, sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp. fresh ginger, minced
2 tbsp. tamari
¼ tsp red pepper
½ cup raw cashews

Yield: 4 side or 2 entree servings

Prep Time:  10 minutes

Cook Time:  8-10 minutes

Instructions:

• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add garlic and ginger and sautee until fragrant, about two minutes.

• Add bok choy and sautee for about 3 minutes.

• Add tamari and red pepper flakes and cook 2 more minutes, until the bok choy stalks are tender and leaves have wilted.

• Arrange bok choy on plates and top with cashews just before serving.

Notes:

This dish stands up on its own but is extra fabulous as it is pictured above, which is served over brown rice with stir fried tofu.  If you feel like gussying it up even further, add some pineapple or water chestnuts!