Happiness is shelling peas

Freshly shelled peas

A friend recently asked me if there was any exciting produce at the farmer's market lately.

"Well," I told her, "besides all the baby squash, there is the matter of fresh peas."
"But it's such a pain to shell them." she said flatly.
And then there was an awkward pause.

I mean, I love shelling peas.
Love it.

And if you get yourself in a kind of zen mode you can stand there, staring out the window, shelling till your fingernails turn green, and when you finally snap out of it you've got a bowl full of peas and even perhaps some new realization about your life or the universe or your next door neighbour.

The shelling of peas requires the ability to space out, and that is something that I am entirely good at.

So yes, I went home with fresh peas while my friend did not. The requisite spacing out occurred as I shelled them and then it came time to eat them. I dwaddled around for about an hour doing other things, all the while trying to decide what exactly I wanted to do with them. This can sometimes take a while. I don't like to rushing into these things because I hate to be disappointed. So, I had a chit chat with my mom on the phone, threw some laundry in the dryer, flipped through a magazine until finally I had it.
Seared chicken breast with pesto and fresh peas-- completely inspired by the presence of peas on my counter and fresh basil pesto in my fridge.


Seared chicken breast with pesto and fresh peas


It's nothing fancy, but it sure made me happy. They say that basil is a mood lifter and I swear it's true. One bite of some fresh pesto and I make that Nigella face, the one that in some circles might be considered a bit over the top, maybe even obscene, especially when she adds the finger licking.
But I completely understand where she's coming from, because between the pesto and the peas I was pretty much on cloud nine.



*****************
How I made it

The peas were blanched in boiling water for a minute or two until desired tenderness, then drained and rinsed in cold water. The chicken was seared in a pan (with olive oil) and cut into strips/wedges when done. Combine the peas with the chicken in a bowl and toss with some fresh basil pesto-- as much or as little as your heart desires.
Easy peasy.
Pun intended.

*note, this recipe is especially easy if you happen to have pesto in your fridge. If not, you have no choice but to dig up your favourite recipe and get to it.


Variations:
This dish would also be good with some pasta shells in the mix.
Or try some crumbled feta on top.
It might even be great with a mint pesto, if you happen to like mint enough, which I do.

September evenings with roasted chicken

Sunday night was one of those cool and quiet sort of nights, where it's warm enough to justify a cold bottle of white wine, but it's cool enough to warrant drinking it with a sweater on.

We sat outside noticing how the light is already beginning to change, it's less vibrant but somehow cozier. I still can't believe it's already September, we've been here 9 months and I feel like I just got here, like I'm still settling in. But such has been my life for the last 4 years, always feeling unsettled, with a suitcase at the ready in case we move again.

I don't have to tell you that I'm grateful for all these experiences. Four countries in four years is something I never imagined for my life.

But sometimes, on a quiet September evening, a girl just wants to sit back and feel like she's firmly planted, to wiggle her toes in the grass and know that at this time next year, she'll be staring at the same grass.

I know that it's not likely going to end up that way. The neighbours upstairs fight all the time and the traffic outside our window is noisy and rushed. Between the two of them, sometimes there's just no room left for my own thoughts.

And I'm a girl who likes her peace and quiet.
Sometimes I like to turn the stereo up, loud, but sometimes I just prefer to turn the damn thing off.
If only my neighbours had an off switch.

So yeah. It's September. Cold wine, a warm sweater, a handsome fella, and Zuni's roasted chicken with bread salad. It doesn't get much better.



I have never had this dish in the restaurant but I have made it many many times at home. Unfortunately I wasn't paying all that much attention to getting a good picture (can you blame me?) so these will just have to do.
Luckily for me, the whole recipe and instructions are already posted online at MSNBC right here.
G and I both love this dish---it looks and tastes divine.



Rushing to take a picture so we could get to the business of eating.

Chicken pot pie in summer? Oh no you didn't.. Oh yes I did.

How old school was I last night, whipping up a chicken pot pie. I don't even eat chicken pot pie let alone bake them from scratch. I couldn't even tell you what prompted me to make one. Considering my lack of experience, I took the easiest route possible and followed a recipe called Easy Chicken Pot Pie.

How lazy am I? Did I just lose my foodie club membership? Is there even a club because I think someone forgot to invite me.

And I know what else you're thinking. Chicken pot pie doesn't seem like a summer dish. I mean if it isn't green and leafy and easy on the muffin top it just doesn't work, right?

But people, it seems that it is monsoon season here in England. I did not realize that my umbrella and I would become so close. I swear, it rains when I wake up, it rains when I'm eating my lunch and oh surprise, it is raining by the time I go to bed.
Help.
Send sun.
Or a new umbrella at the very least.
I mean, you know it's rainy when those umbrellas that attach to your head start seeming like a good idea.

You know what it feels like these days?
October.
No kidding.
I rode my bike the other morning with a pair of gloves on.
So perhaps now you understand how chicken pot pie fits right in to my current reality.

And I know you're looking at that picture and thinking I've got a whole chicken under there. But I promise you that is only a wee tiny ramekin peaking out from under that golden top. Perhaps I was a bit heavy handed with the puff pastry.
But G says there is no such thing as too much puff pastry.
He is quite the philosopher.

The recipe was simple and it hit the spot. I figure that for a first timer, it was a good start. One day I will make it again with a more contemporary variation, unless it's raining (which is highly likely) and I need some comfort food, then I might just stick to it old school.



*************
Easy Chicken Pot Pie at Epicurious

Because I can never follow a recipe exactly:
I substituted celery for carrots
I used onion instead of shallot
I added dried thyme because I wanted to see some herbs in the mix. (the recipe has you remove the bouquet garni)

A little braised chicken, alot of self-satisfaction..

Braised chicken in aromatic tomato sauce

I'm a bit obsessive about a certain New Year's resolution that I made to myself.
But before I get into that there's something you must know about me first.

For the last few years I have diligently recorded every single recipe that I have made on a spreadsheet, with detailed notes about any changes I made and whether or not I liked it.

I swear though, if I didn't write it down, I would forget by the next week that I had even made it. I am very forgetful.

But now, with my trusty spreadsheet at hand, just ask me what I made for Christmas dinner in 2004 and I will whip out my computer and with a few clicks you will have your answer. And I'll be smiling and feeling all high and mighty and pleased with myself and stuff.

I know this rates really high on the dorkiness meter, but I feel ok about it. I am fully at peace with the dorkiness that pervades my life.

So let's get back to this New Year's resolution.
On January 1st, 2007, I, like many other food loving people, resolved to cook more new recipes.
Big deal, right?

Well I'm only telling you this now because I kind of wanted to brag a little.

It turns out that since January I have averaged 4 new recipes a week.
That's 16 recipes a month.
That's..pauses to mentally calculate that..192 recipes a year! (ok, I used a calculator)
Give this dork a gold star already.
No, not for the math, for the cooking.
Geez.

********************
So, according to my spreadsheet, (mouse clicks heard in background) recipe #12 for the month of April 2007 is:

Braised Chicken in Aromatic Tomato Sauce (click for the recipe)
from Bon Appetit at Epicurious.com

I really enjoyed this and will make it again. The aromatics in the sauce are a combination of allspice, cinnamon, paprika, cloves and nutmeg. I am a big fan of allspice as it is, so that is what drew me to this recipe. The leftovers the following day were even better.

I know, it's easier if someone just sticks to a recipe and tells you if it was good or not. But that would just be too easy. I basically used the recipe for inspiration and just did what felt right.
Luckily, it all worked out for me.

My changes:
1 tsp of ground allspice, instead of whole allspice.
1 tsp of ground cinnamon, instead of a cinnamon stick.
Sweet pimenton (spanish paprika) because I think it has a richer, smokier flavour than "regular" paprika.
I added a good splash of sherry to the sauteed onions before adding the spices.
I used one 400g can of chopped tomatoes which I pureed first for a smooth sauce.
I filled that tomato can twice with water and added it to the pot.
I added 2 fresh bay leaves to the pot.
I served the dish with couscous instead of pasta.

Note: the recipe makes a good amount of sauce for pouring over pasta, rice, couscous, or whatever you want to serve it with.

A butcher, a rooster, and an awkward moment

Coq au Vin

And then there was the time I decided to make Coq au Vin.

I picked out a fresh, plump chicken at the market and asked the butcher to cut it up for me because I was making Coq au Vin. I knew he would be charmed and impressed.
He told me that he had a coq if I wanted one.
A rather awkward pause followed.
Perhaps I'd been a bit too charming.
Finally I dared to look where this cheeky Frenchman was pointing.
And there it lay. A rooster, dead, in full form: head, eyes, wobbly red bits under its chin and on top of its head.
Oh. Right.
Coq=Rooster.
I quickly regained my composure and realized that to select the rooster would mean witnessing its decapitation. So, I politely declined, and urged him to proceed with the headless chicken I had already selected. But cock-a-doodle-do to you old boy, I thought. Or cocorico actually, since he was a French rooster, after all.

The making of the Coq au Vin began. Chopping, marinating, browning.
And then there was the part in the recipe where I had to add the cognac and light it on fire.
Yes, well.
Sometimes I forget about my own tendencies toward clumsiness.
But I do still have both my eyebrows and all of my eyelashes so have no fear.
The dish turned out wonderfully. There was endless dipping of bread into sauce, which had turned out rich and full of flavour, the addition of unsweetened cocoa powder adding to its deep, dark colour. The chicken was tender and falling off the bone.

I felt a little bit more French for having made this. I may even be ready to get myself a beret soon.

Coq au Vin
adapted from Saveur Cooks Authentic French, Chronicle Books 1999

1 roasting chicken, (up to 6 lbs) cut into pieces
2 large yellow onions, peeled and roughly chopped
2 large carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
3 large cloves of garlic, peeled and halved
bouquet garni consisting of 3 thyme sprigs, 3 parsley sprigs and 2 bay leaves tied in a bundle
1 bottle good rich burgundy wine, plus 375ml water (or 1.5 bottles wine)
1/4 cup vegetable or canola oil
2 tbsp flour
1/4 cup good cognac
1.5 tb unsweetened cocoa powder
6 oz salt pork, diced (you can buy thick slabs of it, or use pancetta in the same form)
3/4 lb button mushrooms, cleaned and stems trimmed

Put first 6 ingredients (up to and including wine and water) in a large bowl. The recipe recommends you cover and refrigerate for 24 hours. I only did it for 4 and it was still great. But perhaps its even better if you go the full 24.

Remove the chicken from the marinade (don't discard the marinade) and dry the pieces well with paper towels. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Heat oil in a heavy pan over medium high heat and brown the chicken on all sides. Do it in batches so as not to crowd the pan. Set the chicken aside when each piece is done browning.

Add flour to the pan and cook, stirring for about 2 minutes.
Return the chicken to the pan.
Remove the pan from the heat and add the cognac and light it with a match until the flame dies out. Keep the pot lid nearby to extinguish the flames if necessary.
Return pan to heat and add the reserved marinade back in and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce to low and simmer, partially covered about 1.5 hours, or until chicken is tender.

Remove chicken from pan again and strain the sauce through a sieve, discarding the solids. Return the sauce to the pan.
Put cocoa powder in a small bowl and whisk in 1/2 cup of the strained sauce until it is smooth. Stir it into the pan then reduce the sauce to about 4 cups, 15 to 20 minutes. Reduce heat to low and return chicken to pan.

In the meantime, saute the salt pork in a skillet over medium heat until crisp then remove from skillet, drain on paper towel, and add to chicken. Add mushrooms to the same skillet and saute until golden about 10 minutes. Drain and add mushrooms to chicken.Serve.

Recipe notes
-I omitted the mushrooms only because my boyfriend is not a fan of mushrooms. But the recipe would have been greatly enhanced by their addition. We were left with nothing but sauce and chicken which, although fantastic, could have benefitted from either mushrooms or carrots or even small new potatoes, to turn it into a well-rounded meal in itself.

-This recipe requires that you take the chicken out of the pan and put it back in over and over it seems. But in the end it makes sense. And it tastes really very good.

-If you are nervous about lighting the cognac or don't have any on hand, I think you would be ok to leave it out and just skip that part of the instructions.

Me and my Mulligatawny

Mulligatawny Soup

It seems as though I have television on the brain lately. But there is a valid reason. My boyfriend has just bought a big, shiny new one. Yes, you know where this is going.

My childhood is peppered with strange television memories. Saturday mornings started the same way each time: fighting with my brother over what cartoons to watch. His favourites inevitably involved superheroes saving the planet yet again, while he munched away on a bowl of honeycomb cereal. While I, with my much more girly honey nut cornflakes, insisted on the Muppet Babies. Somehow it seemed that my brother always won, and I would protest by standing in front of the television twirling my baton and practicing my marching band moves. Ok, maybe I only did that once. Usually I just sulked on the couch in defeat and watched whatever stupid cartoon he was watching.

So then I grew up. A little. It was an episode of Gimme a Break that first taught me that sometimes a girl can wear too much lip gloss. ("You look like you just ate a pork chop without using your hands"). When I was finally old enough to wear lip gloss it was clear that that episode had sealed my fate as the girl who always wears just the right amount of lip gloss.
Years later it was Frasier that first introduced me to the concept of a crème brulée torch, and I thought it was something so absurd that there was no way I would ever own one. (ok, I still don't but it's not because I don't want one).
And yes, it was Seinfeld and his soup nazi that put the word Mulligatawny into my vocabulary.

Though I'd never made it or even eaten it, Mulligatawny became the butt of jokes for years to come. The standard question of "What do you feel like eating?" still offers a comedic moment when answered with an overly enthusiastic "MULLIGATAWNY!"
Ok, maybe I'm the only who finds that funny, but I have always been easily amused.

I have no idea what possessed me after all these years to finally make Mulligatawny soup. Yes, perhaps it was the new TV. But now that I have made it, I feel as though I've just reclaimed my youth in some way; as though those Seinfeld episodes really weren't so long ago, and no, I'm not all that old. If ever I felt like snuggling up with my tv and telling it how much it means to me, that time is definitely now.


Mulligatawny Soup from Bon Appetit, September 2005
The soup was delicious. Me and my mulligatawny are going to be friends for years to come.

1/4 cup vegetable oil
3 cups chopped onion
5 garlic cloves, chopped
1.5 tablespoons garam masala
1.5 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 bay leaves
2 cups dried red lentils
8 cups low-salt chicken broth (my note: or your salty broth if you prefer)
2 cups diced cooked chicken
1 cup canned unsweetened coconut milk
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 cups cooked basmati rice
lemon wedges

Heat vegetable oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook until golden brown, stirring frequently, about 15 minutes. Add garlic and sauté 2 minutes. Add garam masala and next 4 ingredients; stir 1 minute. Add lentils; stir until coated. Add chicken broth. Bring soup to boil; reduce heat to medium and simmer until lentils are very tender, about 20 minutes. Discard bay leaves. Working in batches, puree soup in blender until smooth. Return to pot. Stir in chicken, coconut milk, and lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Divide rice among bowls. Pour soup over. Garnish with lemon wedges; serve.


To my vegetarian friends, (Amylou? are you reading this?) let it be noted that even though I thought I was fully prepared, I was in fact out of chicken stock so I used vegetable stock and it tasted great even before adding the chicken. So you could easily make a chicken-free mulligatawny, which would really be more like a curried lentil soup, but with a more exciting and exotic and Seinfeldy name.

And the excitement doesn't stop there..
The soup itself is served in bowls over some cooked rice. If you are in the mood for more of a curry than a soup, use more rice. If you are in the mood for soupy, then add just a bit of rice. Each person can customize their own--and you know, on-the-spot soup customization options are hard to come by.

Nigel's Green Chicken Curry

Sometimes I feel as though I am truly cursed. I love G with all my heart, but he is a ridiculously fussy eater. The foods that top his “no” list are those same foods that make my mouth water. Goat cheese, crème fraiche, coriander, shrimp, eggplant, red peppers. The list goes on. Since I started this blog I have posted recipes with all of these ingredients. But here’s the catch: he has been travelling on business non-stop and for the last 2 or 3 months I have seen him only on weekends, save for a few days here and there. So, most of my blog-worthy creations have been made while he is away, with no one to consider but me when selecting a recipe and the ingredients, and just me to eat it all up.

It can at times be difficult to find recipes that serve 2 people, but let me tell you that it is especially difficult when you are but one. I hate leftovers, only because my mind tells me that there is something new and exciting to create the next night. Why would I want to eat the same thing again? G, on the other hand, could have the same sandwich for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and be perfectly content. Yes, he has a favourite sandwich consisting of a particular baguette from the local market, blobs of mayonnaise, pepper salami and havarti cheese. Notice the lack of any sort of vegetable on this sandwich? So do I, but I’m not about to tell a grown man how to eat.

Much to our delight, G is working from home this week. On the weekend, I was entirely enthused about the upcoming week, as having him home is a bit of a rarity these days. And, with my 2 new cookbooks, I was happy to have another mouth to feed (even a fussy one). As we lounged in bed on Monday night I flipped through the pages of Real Food by Nigel Slater, which I just picked up last week on our trip to Scotland. If G's fussiness hadn't been on my mind I might not have bought this book at all. It's recipes emphasize comfort foods, and for me that generally means they are going to be so good that I'll just eat too much. Compare that to Thomas Keller's French Laundry Cookbook, where everything seems to be made in bite sized bits, perfect for a girl who often has trouble regulating her portion sizes.

"How about the Pork with Cashews, Lime and Mint?” I asked him as he was about to drift off to sleep.
My question was met with a shrug and a bit of a grimace.
“Oh right” I said. “You don’t like pork.”
Before getting entirely deflated I thought perhaps I could just make it with chicken. Good idea, I thought. Easy substitution. But then that other part of me started to sulk: "I really don't want to substitute on the first recipe I'm making from the book."
Please note: I did not say this out loud. End result: I felt deflated.
“Alright, fine, I’ll just make a Thai curry again.”

Keep in mind that this is about the only sure thing I can make that even when I make it bad he still gobbles it up. And to prove the point, his sleepy eyes lit up and he was happy.

But I kept flipping through the pages, nursing a big pout, and came across Nigel’s Green Chicken Curry. Perfect solution. I’ll make something with a name that G likes, but I’ll use someone else’s recipe this time. It will be different than our usual, and this way, he's happy with something relatively familiar and I'm happy to be exploring a new recipe.




I had but a few ingredients to pick up to make this recipe and when dinner hour neared the following day, I readied myself in the kitchen. I hadn't realized I'd be making my own curry paste. I'd never done that before. The result was phenomenal, the curry was extremely fragrant and tasted so fresh. If this is any indication of the rest of the recipes inside, we're in for some good eating.

My variations: The recipe calls for some fresh coriander to be added to the simmering coconut milk near the end of cooking time. Since G is not a fan of coriander, I left this out and only added it to my own serving afterwards. I did however use the coriander called for in the curry paste, and he did not even notice it, much to my delight.
The original recipe calls for chestnut mushrooms which I did not use, and bottled green peppercorns, which I did use, but neither of us really liked biting into these little things. I wouldn't use them again.

Green Chicken Curry, Adapted from Nigel Slater's Real Food
750g chicken breast
3 tablespoons peanut oil
400ml tin of coconut milk
400ml of chicken stock
8 kaffir lime leaves
1 tablespoon nam pla (fish sauce)
the leaves from a large bunch of basil, shredded (about 20g)
15g of coriander, roughly chopped

For the Curry Paste
the tender heart leaves of 4 lemongrass stalks ( I used 4 tsps of jarred chopped lemongrass)
6 medium-hot green chilies, seeded and chopped
3 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
5 cm piece of ginger, peeled and chopped
2 shallots, peeled and chopped
4 tablespoons of chopped coriander
1 teaspoon of ground cumin
1 teaspoon of ground coriander
1 teaspoon of grated lime zest
1 tablespoon of lime juice
1 tablespoon of nam pla (fish sauce)
1/2 teaspoon of freshly cracked pepper

For the curry paste, first slice the lemongrass finely if using stalks. Place lemongrass and all the other curry paste ingredients in a food processor until it makes a thick paste. Push down from the sides occassionally if necessary. Refrigerate until needed, but cover tightly as the smell will permeate everything in your fridge.
For the curry, cut the chicken into finger-thick strips. Warm the oil in a casserole and, when hot and sizzling, add the chicken and let the strips colour slightly on all sides. Do it in batches if necessary. Remove from pan.

Pour in the coconut milk and the stock, then add the lime leaves, 4 heaped tablespoons of the curry paste, the fish sauce and half of the chopped herbs. Bring to the boil, then turn down the heat and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring from time to time.Return the chicken to the pan with a further tablespoon of the paste and simmer for 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in the last of the herbs and serve.

A girl and her chicken..

Chicken wings with chiles and lime

Sometimes a girl just wants some good old fashioned chicken wings. And I’m not in any suggesting that these cannot be found in Heidelberg. There are 3 main Irish pubs here (that I have found) and each of them serves up their version of the perfect chicken wing. Well truth be told, I’m not sure that any of them are really aiming for perfect. But that's neither here nor there.

If you’re out with someone you are comfortable with, there is nothing better than digging in to a steaming hot pile of chicken wings, sauce on your face and your hands and, of course, chicken stuck in your teeth for the rest of the evening until you can get home to your much needed dental floss. Clearly, it’s not the optimal choice of a meal for a first date.

And sometimes, a girl not only just wants chicken wings, sometimes a girl wants her chicken wings in the comfort of her own home. Ok, I'm not just talking about any random girl here. Yes, it’s all about me. A face full of sauce, chicken bits stuck in my hair, it makes no matter, because I am at home. Well, it would matter if my boyfriend were here, but he’s away on business again, so I can be as messy as I want, and no one is the wiser. Well, until now.

I happened to spot some appealingly meaty wings recently at the market, and I just couldn’t say no. After some lazy searches on the internet for a not-too-complicated recipe, I found one. It was so simple, I knew my search was over. And, it called for the use of a grill pan, and I will happily use my grill pan any chance I can get. Although, I will admit that it did sound like an unusual way to cook wings. But who was I to argue, I’d never made them before.

Let me say, that I was actually very satisfied with my first homemade chicken wing experiment. The flavour of the marinade on the wings was very flavourful and light. I’m still a little undecided on whether the grill pan is the best tool to cook them, as a lot of chicken parts remained untouched by the grill pan because of their odd and uneven shapes. I would have preferred to have an all over browning on the wings, which I could not achieve using my grill pan alone. Pasty white chicken bits are not particularly enticing. Nonetheless, they were still quite tasty dipped in some Thai sweet chili sauce, which has been a topic of much conversation lately between another charming Canadian food blogger and I.

Variations: I used a red chili instead of jalapenos. I have yet to find a jalapeno in Heidelberg so sometimes a girl just has to make do. Recipe is posted below!

Chicken Wings with Chiles and Lime (from cooking.com)

1/2 cup fresh lime juice
4 cloves garlic, crushed
4 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
3 jalapeno chiles, seeded and finely chopped
2 pounds chicken wings

METHOD

Combine the lime juice, garlic, ginger, and chiles in a glass or non reactive metal bowl. Add the chicken and turn to coat evenly. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours, turning occasionally. Remove from the refrigerator and let stand at room temperature for 20 minutes.

Preheat a grill pan over medium heat until very hot. Add the chicken and grill for about 20 minutes, turning occasionally, until cooked through and firm. Serve immediately.

Me, Martha and my leftovers..

chicken with ginger

Martha Martha Martha. You must think that all I do is talk about Martha. Well in case you don't already know, all of my cookbooks are in storage. Not only in storage, but divided between storage lockers in 2 different countries. And I do suffer because of this. I can't even remember anymore what's behind door number one and what's behind door number 2. But I guarantee you it will be like Christmas when I finally get to open those lockers again.

But in the meantime, there are 3 websites that I have come to rely on to get me through these difficult, cookbook-less times. Well, I don't need to tell you which ones they are because they are linked on the sidebar. Oh, except that Martha isn't actually listed there, strangely enough. But she gets enough air play as it is. And don't get me wrong, sometimes her and I do clash, it's not ALL sunshine and roses. Sometimes she can really put a frown on my face.

But she does have this very easy and very tasty recipe for Chicken with Ginger that I felt compelled to share with you. And it's perfect for using up leftover vegetables. Somehow I managed to buy magical snowpeas that have been in my fridge for two, maybe three, weeks now and they were still in fine shape. Is that normal? Well, I didn't question, I just went ahead and ate them. And I had some leftover baby bok choy from my tofu salad experience last week. So of course I blanched them both and then added them to the final mix. You can eat this chicken with steamed rice or asian noodles if you want. But I like it just fine on it's own loaded with vegetables. And did I mention that it was easy? I will say that she instructs you to cut the ginger into matchsticks. This makes my jaw clench. I can't handle a piece of ginger that size. So I usually chop it up quite small. If you do this, I think you can omit the step where she instructs you to soak the ginger for 10 minutes.

Chicken with Ginger (from www.mslo.com)
Serves 4

1 three-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and cut into 1/8-inch-thick matchsticks (1/2 cup)
2 tablespoons canola oil (I use peanut oil)
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks
1 large onion, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons white vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup sliced scallions

Soak ginger in cold water 10 minutes; drain.
Heat oil in a skillet over high heat; brown chicken in two batches, 6 to 8 minutes. Set aside.
In same skillet over medium heat, cook ginger, onion, and garlic, stirring until browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Add soy sauce, vinegar, and sugar; cook over high heat until thick, 3 to 4 minutes. Add chicken; stir to warm. Remove from heat; stir in scallions.

**NOTE: Since I am always disobedient to recipes, I felt I should point out that I have even used white or rice wine vinegar instead of regular white vinegar, and I usually omit the sugar and it is still very good. Yep.