Asian Pasta with Baby Bok Choy and Chicken

I have a new found love for baby bok choy. It's such a delicious, sweet and crunchy cabbage and one I'd like to cook with every week. This recipe evolved from a quick pasta salad I put together one picnic supper night. The first pass dish was sauteed onion and baby bok choy in a rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, soy sauce dressing over rice noodles. That was good, but this was even better. Chicken and ginger kicked up a notch or six.

This dish even got the mother-in-law stamp of approval, which surprised me. Her first comment was "It's different." Then... "I like the ginger, it reminds me of the salad dressing at Benihana." And finally, "I could eat some more of that."

Asian Pasta with Baby Bok Choy and Chicken
ingredients
1 large diced onion
1-3 fingers of ginger
5-6 heads of baby bok choy, washed and sliced in 1/2 pieces
2-6 cloves minced garlic
1 lb boneless skinless chicken (I used thighs)
1 8oz package brown rice pasta, cooked, drained and rinsed. (I used fusili)

sauce ingredients
1/2 cup chicken/veggie stock or water
2-4 TBS soy sauce (i used tamari)
2 TBS sesame seed oil
1 TBS cornstarch

In a large non-stick pan, cook chicken on medium heat on both sides until done, about 5 minutes per side. I used no oil since thighs are quite fatty. Meanwhile chop veggies and whisk sauce ingredients together, reserving. Remove chicken from pan, leaving pan juices in the pan, add onion and ginger, cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Add the bok choy, and garlic; cook until slightly wilted. I try to add the white stem parts first as they take a little longer to cook than the green tops. Slice the chicken and return it to the pan. Whisk the sauce again and add it to the pan. Toss to coat, keep stirring until you see the sauce thicken up. Add the pasta to the pan and combine with veggie/meat mixture.

Kid Appeal Tip Do your kids pick onions, herbs, ginger and anything flavory out of everything you make? Take heart, this is pretty common. When my kids ask "what's this" I answer truthfully and say, "that's where all the flavor is." Turns out most foods with a lot of flavor are also very good for the body. You can puree or finely mince all these ingredients and the flavor (and all the nutrition) will still be there. But I advise against "hiding" all of it. If kids don't know what they're eating, they might not eat it when the know what it's in there. I've started doing half minced/grated ginger and half thinly sliced ginger in Asian dishes. I want the flavor of ginger in there, but don't want it to be too overwhelming for the boys. This way they can pick out the big hunks of ginger and it's still got enough bite for me and hubby. After a few months of this method, Big Boo rarely picks out ginger pieces, but Little Boo is still eating around them. When Little Boo tells me he doesn't like ginger, I correct him and say "actually you like a little ginger, because I put tiny pieces in the sauce. When you get bigger you'll like a lot of ginger like I do."

If you're not already routinely eating cabbage, you should be. It's full of fiber and Vitamin C and an antioxidant powerhouse. In addition to being an excellent warrior against cancer, it also holds it's own against virus and ulcers. And it's frugal! Cabbage is one of the most affordable veggies out there. Make it a point to put it in your meal plans more often. Are you up for the challenge?

This post is participating in LifeAsMom's Anything Goes Ultimate Recipe Swap, and Pennywise Platter hosted by the Nourishing Gourmet.

What's your favorite cabbage dish?

PS - I can't stop staring at the photo. I can't believe I took that picture!