Lemony Slow-cooked Bok Choy and Broccoli

Slow Food is not a new phrase in the culinary community, it's been around for some time. But only recently has this become a mainstay in the United States.

An alternate to fast food and a means of enjoying and preserving traditional cuisines, this movement is more about food that is good for you and good for the environment than the method of cooking.

The goal could summed up as to promote awareness of good food and nutrition.

This recipe plays on all linguistic sides of Slow Food- it is using healthy, planet-friendly, local, organic food which would inspire a table side gathering as well as it describes the the manner to which the ingredients are cooked.

Reminiscent of collard greens, this dish makes me think of the south or of a rustic Italian farm; very warm and comforting on a lazy afternoon. The greens are soft and melt in your mouth rather than become mushy. And the garlic becomes a little treasure trove for the lucky bowls that land one of the smashed cloves, so mild and tender. But it is the hint of lemon with the red pepper cooked in the dish that envelopes the soft stems for a full flavor finish.

Bring the family together with this ultra simple, healthy Slow Food Bok Choy dish. Time will stand still for one Fat and Happy moment.

Fat and Happy Food Blog Tips and Techniques: While I did not try this in a crock pot or slow cooker, I feel this could easily be adapted by layering all the ingredients as mentioned above and cooking on low for a few hours uninterrupted.

Slow-cooked Boc Choy and Broccoli

Try not to get too caught up in the exact measurements of the bok choy and broccoli; I basically had 2 small sized heads of broccoli and 2 medium sized heads of  bok choy.

1/4 cup olive oil

4 cloves garlic, smashed

red pepper flakes, 2 pinches

3 lemon slices

1/2 cup broccoli stems, cut into 1 - 2 inch pieces

1 cup broccoli, cleaned and broken down

1 cup bok choy stems, cut into 1-2 inch pieces

3 cups bok choy leaves, sliced into strips

1/2 cup water or vegetable broth

1 tbls butter

salt

Over medium heat in a medium-large size sauce pan, add the olive oil, the smashed garlic, red pepper flakes and the lemon slices. Let the garlic sizzle until it begins to just turn golden brown, flip the garlic and the lemon over and continue to cook for another couple of minutes.

Add in the broccoli and bok choy stems, cook for about 5 minutes. Add in the broccoli heads and cook for another 10 minutes, stirring only as needed. Over stirring this dish may result in a mushy rather than tender dish.

Add in the bok choy leaves and the broth, do not stir, but rather let the leaves lay on top of all the stems. Cover, reduce the heat to medium low and let it simmer for an hour. Add in the butter at about 50 minutes. Give everything a light stir.

Taste for salt, adjust as/if needed. Serve as a simple side dish or scoop over rice for a more complete entree.