Are you looking for ways to incorporate more vegetables into your diet? One way is to combine vegetables with meat into a one-pot meal that is quick and healthy. A good choice is bok choy, a cruciferous, leafy green vegetable commonly used in Asian cuisine.
Bok choy, also called pat choi, has many health benefits, including vitamins, particularly Vitamin C and K, and minerals that promote heart health, bone health, thyroid function and may even fight some types of cancer. One study found that eating bok choy was associated with a significantly lower risk of oral, esophageal, colorectal, breast, and kidney cancers.
However, researchers warn against eating too much bok choy in its raw form as it may prevent your body from absorbing iodine, which is important in thyroid function. Also, if you are on blood thinners you should not consume large amounts of bok choy as it contains Vitamin K which helps in blood clotting.
Bok choy is also rich in antioxidants, substances that protect your body from oxidative stress that can lead to inflammation and other chronic conditions.
Having said all that, let me introduce you to a quick and tasty dish, which is sure to satisfy your palate while providing you with lots of health benefits. The recipe below uses chicken, but since I don’t eat meat, I substituted with shrimp, which is also quick and easy to cook and low in calories. Serve it as is if you are watching your carb intake or over a plate of white rice.
Chicken (or shrimp) and bok-choy stir fried
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken or 1 pound large shrimp shelled and de-veined
- 1 head of bok choy washed and cut into 1 inch strips
- 2 large carrots peeled in strips or ½ cup matchstick carrots
- 5-6 green onions diced
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds (optional)
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro if desired
- 4 clove garlic crushed or grated finely
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or canola oil
For the sauce
- 2 tablespoons honey (omit if you are diabetic)
- ½ teaspoon freshly grated ginger
- 2 cloves of garlic grated or minced finely
- 2 tablespoons reduced sodium gluten-free soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
Instructions
- Cut up chicken into strips and wash under running water.
- Season with salt, pepper, garlic, cilantro and green onions. Set aside. (If using shrimp, wash and season as for chicken).
- Stir together all the ingredients for the sauce and set aside.
- Heat oil in a large wok or skillet over medium-high heat. Add in chicken (or shrimps) and cook for 5-7 minutes. Add in bok choy, and carrots. Stir continuously for 3 minutes and then add the sauce. Cook until the sauce has coated the chicken (or shrimps) and vegetables and heated through.
- Serve over a plate of white rice if desired.
Prep time – 15 mins. Cook time 10 mins Total time 25 mins Calories 226 kcal Servings 4
