Chicken and Bok Choy Stir-Fry with Peanut Sauce

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I’m pretty much always in the mood for a good stir-fry! Not exactly sure why that is though. Is it the softened but still slightly crisp veggies? The bite-sized, tender cubes of chicken? The way the rice adds just the right amount of starchiness and sops up all the sauce? Or is it the sauce itself that inspires my great love? Who knows? It’s one of life’s great big mysteries and in this case who cares, because the whole shebang is just so delicious! Plus, the fact that it all comes together in under 30 minutes doesn’t hurt either. If you’re looking for a fun midweek meal, your search is over!

Do you order Asian take-out a lot? It’s kind of a rarity for us. Not that I don’t like it, but I always find that it’s a little bit too greasy for me and doesn’t generally make me feel that good after I eat it, whereas when I make it at home, when I can control the amount of oil (and the other ingredients), I’m totally a happy girl!

And this particular stir-fry really makes me happy for two reasons. First off, there is bok choy which I love but for no particular reason, rarely ever cook with. Here it’s both tender and crunchy and perfect!

Second, is this seriously amazing and addictive sweet and spicy peanut sauce which comes together in just a few seconds in a blender! It is to die for! And can be made ahead! And makes more than you need for just this recipe which means you’ll have plenty of leftover sauce to use in whatever way you want. Finger swipes are a-ok with me!

So tonight, instead of reaching for that take-out menu, toss together these ingredients and have yourself a stellar little meal in less time than it takes for the delivery guy to reach your door!

Not exactly the stir-fry combo you’re looking for? How about trying one of these: Chicken and Basil Stir-Fry, Thai-Style, Asparagus and Mushroom Stir-Fry, Stir-Fried Beef and Broccoli in Garlic Sauce, Stir-Fry Chicken with Cashews, Dates and Basil, Chicken Teriyaki Stir-Fry with Green Beans and Mushrooms, Thai-Style Stir-Fried Eggplant with Garlic-Basil Sauce, “Noodle-Free” Soy Glazed Beef, Green Beans and Sprouts, Mango Chicken and Peppers, Portobello, Carrot and Sugar Snap Peas with Maple-Soy Glaze and Stir-Fried Sesame Asparagus. I wasn’t kidding when I said I liked stir-fries!!!

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Chicken and Bok Choy Stir-Fry with Peanut Sauce

Makes 4-6 servings

You will need a blender or food processor for the peanut sauce.

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

For the peanut sauce

• 1/2 cup smooth, natural peanut butter

• 1/2 cup water

• 3 tablespoons rice vinegar

• 1 tablespoon brown sugar

• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

• 2-3 shakes red pepper flakes

  For the stir-fry

• 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized cubes

• 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce, divided

• 2 tablespoons canola oil

• 1 large bunch scallions, thinly sliced

• 2 pounds baby bok choy, stems removed and sliced into 1-inch pieces (you could also use regular bok choy)

• 1/4 cup water

• 3 tablespoons rice vinegar

• Cooked rice or some other grain to serve with stir-fry

  The Recipe

  1. To make the peanut sauce: Place all of the ingredients in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for at least a week.

  2. To make the stir-fry: Toss the cut up chicken with 1 tablespoon of the soy sauce. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large deep skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken, turning occasionally, until golden brown and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

  3. Add the scallions to the skillet and cook for a few minutes, until softened. Add the bok choy and water, stir and cover. Let cook for 8-10 minutes, until boy choy is wilted, stirring every so often. Stir in the vinegar and the remaining 1 tablespoon soy sauce. Add the chicken back in and stir well to coat it. Let the mixture cook for another few minutes to heat the chicken and make sure everything melds together.

  4. Serve the stir-fry immediately with rice (or whatever you like) and drizzle with the peanut sauce. You will likely have a lot of peanut sauce leftover which I see as a good thing, but if you don’t, you could always halve the recipe.

  Enjoy!

  Note: Recipe adapted from Healthyish by Lindsay Maitland Hunt. I tinkered a lot with this—used chicken breasts instead of thighs, cut the chopped peanuts only because I didn’t have any, left out the sliced red chile and left out the curry powder from the sauce.