Vietnamese Chicken With Bok Choy

This quick little recipe features bok choy, a Asian green sold in either mature or baby form.  It belongs to the plant family cruciferae, the other members of which are, as you know, some of my faves: broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts.  Bok choy’s a good source of lots of important vitamins, and is actually a great source of calcium.

Mature bok choy has white stems and dark green leaves; baby bok choy is light green in color. It’s relatively cheap to buy, and can be stored unwashed in a plastic bag in your fridge for up to 3 days.  To prepare bok choy, rinse it off and chop the leaves and the stalks – you may want to keep them separate depending on how you’re using your bok choy because the stalks take longer to cook than the leaves.  Baby bok choy is good cooked whole.

This is another 30 minute recipe, originally written to serve 4, but D. and I agreed it’s better suited for 2 people. 

Vietnamese Chicken With Bok Choy

Mix the lime juice, fish sauce, soy sauce, sugar and red pepper in a small bowl.  Put the bok choy cut side down in a large skillet.  Add enough water to reach halfway up the sides of the pan; cover and bring to a boil.  Turn the bok choy over, reduce the heat, and simmer uncovered until crisp-tender, about 1 minute.  Drain; transfer the bok choy to a platter and tent with foil to keep warm.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the shallot and the garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until the shallot is soft.  Add the carrots and cook until they’re softened.  Add the chicken, the salt, and the pepper; cook, breaking up the chicken with a spoon, until the chicken is no longer pink.  Stir in the scallions.

Divide the bok choy between two dinner plates.  Spoon the chicken mixture over the bok choy and drizzle the lime juice mixture over the top.  Serves 2.

Adapted from Weight Watchers Magazine.

© 2009, Sarah. All rights reserved.

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