Easy Stir Fry Chicken with Bok Choi

     I had a craving for some chicken stir fry, so I whipped up the recipe below. It is loosely based on my Mom's chicken and bok choi recipe, or pak choi as it's called in the Commonwealth. It is quick and easy... it takes about 30 minutes to make, tops. Very good for busy people not looking to bother with take-out. Rice noodles make a great side!

Ingredients:

·         1 teaspoon plus 1 tablespoon  oyster sauce

·         2 tablespoons Chinkiang vinegar (Shaoxing wine or cooking sherry are good substitutes)

·         2 tablespoons soy sauce

·         ¼ teaspoon sesame seed oil

·         1 tablespoon cornstarch

·         1.5  pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed

·         1 head of broccoli, chopped

·         1 head of cauliflower, chopped

·         2 carrots, chopped

·         4 small bunches of bok choi, chopped (I used baby bok choi).

·         1 ½ cups Mung bean sprouts

·         3 medium garlic cloves

·         1 inch of ginger, shredded

·         2 medium scallions, chopped

·         1 medium onion, diced

·         1 hot chili pepper, crushed

·         1 teaspoon plus 1 tablepoon vegetable oil

·         1/3  cup water

·         Salt and black pepper to taste

·         Boiled rice noodles – or steamed rice -  for serving

Chopped bok choi

Instructions:

1.     Cut the chicken into one inch cubes. Then, combine the sesame seed oil, 1 teaspoon of oyster sauce, one tablespoon of Chinkiang vinegar, one tablespoon soy sauce and the shredded ginger. Add salt and black pepper to taste. Set aside for 15 minutes.

2.     In the meantime, prepare the other ingredients. Mince the garlic; chop the onions and scallions. Set aside in a bowl. Chop the bok choi and also set aside.

3.     Drizzle one teaspoon of oil around the edge of your wok or frying pan. Add the broccoli, carrots, cauliflower and mung bean sprouts. Stir fry for 1-2 minutes, stirring with a spatula, until the vegetables are charred in spots. Remove from pan and set aside. 

4.     Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the pan. Then, add the chili pepper, onion, scallion & garlic. Stir fry until fragrant (1-2 min minute). Then, add the chicken and marinade. Add the remaining tablespoons of soy sauce, oyster sauce and the Chinkiang vinegar. Cover and cook for another 5-10 minutes. Then, combine 1/3 cup of water and 1 tablespoon of cornstarch together. Add this mixture to the pan.

5.     Add the previously stir fried vegetables and the bok choi to the pan. Stir these in with the chicken, for about 2-3 minutes. Serve immediately with noodles or steamed rice.

Tasty Kale Salad with Balsamic Vinegar & Sweet Potato

Nom Nom Nom! So, I had a bunch of kale in my refrigerator and I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do with it. In the past I’ve had kale steamed with 2 tablespoons of rice wine vinegar and some black pepper. While this is good, I wanted something a little more interesting. So, I tried the recipe below with a few twists of my own!  This salad is a must try: it tantalizes the senses with a wonderful combination of the sweet and savoury. This salad is also low in calories, high in nutrient content, and therefore relatively guilt-free. If it tastes great and is easy on the waist line, I’m all in!

INGREDIENTS

·         1-2 tablespoons butter

·         I medium onion, diced

·         1 red pepper, chopped

·         I sweet potato, cubed

·         4 cups kale

·         4 cloves of  garlic, minced

·         1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

·         ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, shredded

·         salt and pepper to taste

Shredded kale leaves

Chopped red peppers

INSTRUCTIONS

1.     Boil the sweet potatoes until soft. Then remove and set aside. In the meantime, melt one - two tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Then, add the onions and garlic; saute for several minutes until onions are clear.

2.     Add the kale, peppers and balsamic vinegar. Saute until the kale is darker green (before the leaves wilt!). Turn off the heat and serve with Parmesan cheese. Add salt and pepper to taste.