If you’ve never cooked with Bok Choy before, now is your chance. It has the wilted leafy green that we love about sauteed spinach, yet a flavorful crunch almost similar to that of celery. The bok choy in this recipe is complimented with a sesame ginger marinade that is none-the-less tantalizing.
What was thought to be a last-minute meal, ended up one of my favorite meals yet. I went to the store earlier today to get ingredients for a chicken picatta. Do you ever prepare a mental grocery list because you think you can remember the 10+ random items on your list? There I was today, just like every other grocery trip, standing in front of the chilled produce wall, making eye-contact with myself on the reflective mirror hanging above the lettuce and herbs, wondering why the hell I thought I could remember what was on my list when I can barely remember what I had for breakfast. Long story short, I didn’t get any lemons, parsley, or capers, but I did get some fresh bok choy and decently priced chicken breast.
I have a “to-do” recipe list on my phone. It’s great and I actually recommend it for anyone. If you’re ever up till 1AM searching endlessly on the Internet for anything that will distract you from falling asleep, and happen to stumble across potential dinners, write them down! That’s how this recipe was inspired. Insomnia isn’t too bad afterall.
- 1/2 c. vegetable oil
- 1/4 c. light brown sugar
- 1/4 c. rice vinegar or white vinegar
- 1/4 c. low sodium soy sauce
- 1 T. 1 tsp. sesame oil
- 1 large orange
- 1 t. Sriracha sauce (or more if you can handle it)
- 3 garlic cloves - minced
- 2 tsp. fresh minced ginger
- Honey
- Sesame Seeds
- 1 large stem of bok choy
- 1-2 minced garlic gloves
- 1 tsp. minced fresh ginger
- 1/4 c. vegetable oil
- 2 chicken breasts
- 1/2 the marinade
- Mix the vegetable oil, sugar, vinegar, garlic, ginger, sesame oil, soy sauce, juice of the orange, and sriarcha by hand or in a food processor.
- (If you want to use as a marinade proceed to the next step, if not, skip to step 4.)
- Remove half of the sauce and set aside for the chicken marinade.
- Add the remaining sauce to a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and add some honey, stiring to make it thicker (see notes below). Once the sauce is thick, remove from the heat and store in fridge ONCE COOLED!
- Butterfly the chicken breast by cutting the middle of the breast to create a pocket. Do not cut all the way through, leave the other side intact to create a fold. Open the breast and remove any connective tissue carefully with your knife. To make Paillards, cut right down the center for two thin halves (this makes it easier for uniform cuts). Cut your chicken into cubed pieces, making sure all the pieces are around the same size.
- Add the marinade and chicken pieces to a bag and let it marinade for a minimum of 15 minutes.
- Once your chicken is ready to be cooked, heat up a large pan over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook for about 7-8 minutes.
- Rinse the bok choy and cut off the stem. Starting with the white bottom, cut the bok choy into 1 inch pieces all the way to the leafy greens. Add the vegetable to a large pan with the oil, garlic, and remaining ginger. Cover and cook on medium-low until the greens wilt, stir constantly (6-7 minutes).
- Once the bok choy has wilted and some of the white stems seem to have sauteed, add the chicken, and however much of the sauce you'd prefer. Mix together and let it reheat for about 3-4 minutes. Serve as is or over brown rice. Garnish with sesame seeds.
- You will have enough sauce for leftovers so after your sauce has thickened, you can remove from the heat and store once cooled. You can reheat some of the sauce later as the recipe suggests.
- If you'd like your sauce to be thicker, mix together 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 1/4 cup of water to make a slurry. Replace slurry for honey.
- *The easiest way to mince ginger is with a zester. Peel back the skin with a spoon and zest away!
Once your breasts are butterflied, –so unnecessary- cut them into uniform pieces.
Now when using ginger, it’s much easier to buy a fresh root, grate it, and freeze it!
See mine?
Frozen ginger works perfectly. It will melt in the pan and still taste just as fresh, plus it will save you money in the long run!
Now you don’t have to use a food processor, but it does ensure that everything gets mixed well.
Make sure you only use half for the chicken marinade, so you can make a nice finishing sauce for the chicken and bok choy. On that note, the sauce doesn’t take long so try and cook that half way through your chicken and choy.
I had to make this twice tonight. TWICE. It was that freaking good.
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