Sesame Chicken, Baby Bok Choy and Cucumber Salad with Cilantro-Lime Dressing full of veggies with no lettuce. Great for breaking out of your salad rut
Don't you love it when you decide to make something, and it ends up being really yummy?
That's kinda how this meal went.
I found this recipe for Sesame-Chicken Salad in an old Everyday Food Magazine. It looked delicious and interesting, so I thought "why not?"
Well, I sort of have this problem where I read a recipe once or twice and then come up with the ingredients and directions based on what I remember {or what I think it should be based on the ingredients in my kitchen}.
It's more fun that way...or maybe I'm just a recipe rebel ha.
Well, this turned out to be quite tasty, if I don't say so myself.
I'm a little tired of lettuce, so I liked that this recipe didn't have any even though it's full of vegetables.
Don't forget how important it is to eat your fruits & veggies!
And remember, you can use fresh, frozen {without added sugar or sauce}, and canned {without added salt or sugar}.
Well, this meal definitely counts as filling half your plate with vegetables; I hope you try it.
Note: even though it looks like a long complicated recipe, it's really not. It will probably take you about 30 minutes to make.
Enjoy!
Note: Baby bok choy or bok choy is a Chinese cabbage, and you can usually find it in larger grocery stores or health food stores. You could substitute regular cabbage if you can't find it.
Sesame Chicken Baby Bok Choy, and Cucumber & Pepper Salad
Ingredients
For the dressing
- 2 TBSP soy sauce
- juice from 1/2 lime
- 2 tsp honey
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 2 tsp ginger peeled & minced
- 2 tsp sesame oil
- 2 TBSP olive oil
- 1/2 cup cilantro leaves
For the Cucumber & Pepper Salad
- 2 English cucumbers sliced
- 1 red bell pepper julienned
- juice from 1/2 lime
- 1 TBSP soy sauce
- 2 TBSP of the dressing
For the Baby Bok Choy
- 1 lb. baby bok choy or regular bok choy
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
For the chicken
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup sesame seeds
- 1 lb. chicken tenders or chicken breast
- 2 tsp olive oil
Instructions
For the Dressing
- In a small blender or food processor, combine all the ingredients until they are emulsified. Set aside.
For the Cucumber & Pepper Salad
- In a glass or plastic bowl, stir together the cucumbers and peppers. Add the remaining ingredients and stir to coat. Set aside.
For the Bok Choy
- Quarter the baby bok choy lengthwise. If you're using regular bok choy, just roughly chop it.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the bok choy & red pepper flakes. Cook, turning occasionally, until the bok choy is browned and slightly tender {about 8-10 minutes}. Transfer to a plate, and set aside.
For the chicken
- While the bok choy is cooking, pat the chicken dry. Sprinkle evenly with salt.
- Put the sesame seeds in a shallow bowl or plate.
- Once the bok choy has been cooked, heat the olive oil in the same skillet over medium heat.
- Using a fork or tongs, grab a piece of chicken and press it in to the sesame seeds, making sure they coat the entire piece of chicken.
- Add the chicken to the pan, and cook until done, about 5-7 minutes per side depending on the size of the chicken pieces.
- Serve the chicken with the bok choy and cucumber & pepper salad. Serve with dressing.
Leave a Reply