Mojito Chicken Bowls

Yum

It's summer and I'm in vacation mode.

I've been working on 2 major projects since January without a break and I just finished them.  They were like a freight train moving at breakneck speed and they finally ended! Yea!!!  It's time for a little R&R.  I'm ready for vacation and we are planning something tropical and beachy.  I can't wait.

To get us in the island rhythm  I'm cooking up some tropical dishes.  First up is a wonderful chicken bowl with the flavors of mint and lime and rum.  Sound familiar?  I'll take a mojito anytime!  

MOJITO CHICKEN BOWLS

This is a wonderful dish filled with juicy mojito marinated chicken, grilled pineapple and bok choy served over a mint, coconut and pineapple flavored rice.  This dish is hits all the flavor notes of a mojito and the tropics rolled into one.  Top it all off with some slice avocado and we have one heck of a bowl!  Take this dish to eat outside on a balmy evening and you'll feel like your in the tropics.

This dish was just perfect for a pre-vacation meal.  The chicken is grilled to juicy perfection and goes perfectly with the vegetables and pineapple.  What a great combination of food!  It's light yet filling.  Perfect for a summer lunch or dinner.  I'm dreaming of the tropics now...I don't want to wake up yet!

Enjoy!




Mojito Chicken Bowls

serves 2

Marinade:
2 large limes, juiced
1 Tbsp fresh mint, chopped
2 Tbsp white rum
1 Tbsp honey
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts

For the rice:

1 cup basmati rice

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1 Tbsp Fresh mint, chopped
2 Tbsp pineapple juice
2 Tbsp unsweetened coconut flakes 

For the Bowl:

4 Pineapple rings
1 head baby bok choy, halved
1 avocado, sliced
coconut flakes (garnish)

In a ziploc bag, combine the lime juice, mint, rum, honey and a pinch of salt. Add the chicken and seal the bag making sure to toss so the marinade covers the chicken. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Preheat your grill for medium high heat. 

For the rice, rinse the rice well and cook according the to package directions using the suggested amount of water, and the pineapple juice.  (I cook mine in the Instant Pot).  Once that is complete, stir in the cilantro, mint, and coconut flakes.  Keep warm until serving.

Meanwhile, grill your chicken over medium heat until cooked through, about 6 minutes per side.  Add the bok choy and pineapple rings cooking until they have a nice char, about 1-2 minutes per side. Remove and cover the chicken with foil and set aside to let it rest 5 minutes. Slice the chicken into thin strips.  Slice the bok choy into long pieces.  

Divide the rice between two bowls and top with avocado, bok choy and pineapple, and a chicken breast.  Sprinkle coconut flakes over the top and serve.

Slow Cooker Adobo Chicken with Bok Choy

Yum

How often do you use your slow cooker?  I tend to use mine once or twice a week.   I find myself using it for weeknight meals, putting the ingredients in the cooker in the morning and then letting that cook all day so dinner is ready when we come home.  That sometimes takes a little pre-preparation the night before so I don't spend all morning chopping the ingredients when I'm rushed to get to work.

I also find that I'm using it more and more on the weekends so that I free up some of my time to run around and not worry about "what to make for dinner"!  Soups such as this one and this one are great for the weekend.  

About a month ago I bought this great cookbook, Stock the Crock, by Phyllis Good.  She is the creator of the Fix-It and Forget-It series, which I'm sure you've heard of.  Well let me tell you, this book is amazing!  I did a quick read through it and marked so many recipes that I have to try it's unreal.   The one that really caught my eye was: 

ADOBO CHICKEN WITH BOK CHOY

This is not your average slow cooker meal.  You've seen thousands of recipes for typical Mexican dishes, copycat Asian dishes (ala Panda Express) and all the comfort food you can handle, but this Asian dish is different.  Chicken cooked in a tangy sweet sticky sauce low and slow and then shredded and mixed with the flavorful crunch of bok choy.  Deliscious! 

This dish is a flavor bomb for your taste buds!  It's really that good.  The sauce is popular in Filipino cooking and is basically vinegar, soy, sugar, and some aromatics.  You are gonna love this recipe.

It' soooo good I suggest you go out and make this over the weekend.  It cooks in the slow cooker on low for 4 1/2 to 5 hours.  You don't want to overcook the chicken so I suggest you don't make this during the week unless you are home to start the dish later in the day.  I made this on a Sunday afternoon while we had a little fun at the bookstore, and when we got home, dinner was ready.

Let me know how you liked this dish.  We thought it was a keeper!
Enjoy!






Slow Cooker Adobo Chicken with Bok Choy

source:  Stock the Crock
serves 4

1 red onion, thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced
2/3 c apple cider vinegar
1/3 c low sodium soy sauce
1 Tbls brown sugar
1 bay leaf
1- 1 1/2 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 tsp paprika
2 heads baby bok choy, cut into strips
cooked rice

Spray the inside of your slow cooker with cooking spray.  Places the onions, garlic, vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar, and bay leaf in the slow cooker.  Place the chicken on top and sprinkle with paprika.

Cover.  Cook on low 4 1/2 to 5 hours.  Shred the chicken in the cooker.  Turn the cooker to high and add the bok choy.  Cover and cook 10 minutes.  Discard the bay leaf.  Serve over rice.

Tangerine Beef and Bok Choy Stir Fry

I'm hungry and it's dinner time!

Yesterday I had a beef and orange salad that inspired me to take this wonderful combination of flavors and turn it into a delicious stir fry.

It just so happened that I had most of the ingredients already in the house.  Tangerines are slightly more sweet and will lend a great flavor mixed with ginger, creating a sauce to die for.  Baby bok choy is just a wonderful vegetable that lends crunch and veggie goodness to the dish.  I also put in some asparagus tips for good measure.  

All I needed was the beef.  So I used some very thinly sliced sirloin.  Something that can be cooked up quickly and stay tender.

This was a GREAT dish!  Again, there is no need for take-out when you can create a masterpiece such as this one.  It's way better than take-out!  This dish comes together fairly easy.  The most time spent is making the rice, and creating the sauce.  Segmenting tangerines takes a little while and since they are a key ingredient, it's best to make the sauce first and have everything ready when you start to cook.  

So this dish is a little more involved, but I was still able to get dinner on the table in about 45 minutes.  I'm sure that you can buy stir fry beef, and use mandarin oranges and some juice as a way to cut time, and everything will be equally splendid.

Oh, and the topper is that this dish is LIGHT...that is low in calories.  It contains no sugar, like many Asian stir frys do.  The veggies are healthy and a good source of vitamins and fiber.  The protein is lean, and the fruit is fresh!  Great combination all the way around, and fits so well into the EAT WELL 2013 motto....I just love that!

Enjoy!

Tangerine Beef and Bok Choy Stir Fry

Serves 4
Time:  45 minutes

2 cups water
1 cup long grain white or brown rice
2 T low sodium soy sauce
1 T cornstarch
1 lb of sirloin cut into very thin strips 
3 tangerines
zest of 2 tangerines
1/4 c sherry
1 T ginger, minced
1 t cornstarch
1 t toasted sesame oil
4 t canola oil, divided
2 heads of baby bok choy
1/4 lb of thin asparagus

Boil water in a medium sauce pan over high heat.  Add rice, reduce and cover.  Simmer rice for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile add soy sauce and cornstarch to a medium bowl.  Stir to combine.  Add beef strips and toss to coat.  Allow to marinade while you make the sauce.  No need to refrigerate.

Zest two tangerines and place zest in a medium bowl.  Slice off the top and bottom of two tangerines.  Running your knife from the top down the sides, remove all white pith.  Segment the tangerine sections and place in the bowl.  Squeeze juice into the bowl with any leftover flesh and pith.  Do this with two tangerines.  With the third tangerine, peel and squeeze out all the juice and place in the bowl.  Add sherry, ginger, cornstarch and sesame oil.  Whisk to combine.  

Chop bok choy into chunks.  Cut off asparagus stalks, using only the tips.

Heat 2 teaspoons of oil in a large skillet.  Remove beef from the marinade and place in hot skillet.  Stir fry, turning often, for about 3-4 minutes until just cooked through.  Remove from skillet to a bowl.  Add remaining 2 teaspoons of oil and heat.  Add bok choy and asparagus to the skillet and stir fry for about 3 minutes until tender.  Add tangerine sauce.  Add beef and stir to coat, and allow sauce to thicken.
Serve over rice.