Chicken Yakitori with Bok Choy

Chicken Yakitori (Adapted from Cooking Light)

• 1 cup sake
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 3 1/2 tablespoons lower-sodium soy sauce
• 1 (1-inch) piece peeled fresh ginger, sliced
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into 36 (3/4-inch) cubes
• 5 garlic cloves, chopped
• 5 cilantro sprigs
• 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
• 1-2 red bell peppers, cut into pieces for skewers
• Cooking spray

Soak the skewers, if wooden in a bit of water for about 20 minutes. Combine first 4 ingredients in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Remove from heat; let stand 15 minutes. Remove ginger with a slotted spoon, and place in a medium bowl. Add 2 tablespoons soy sauce mixture, pepper, chicken, garlic, and cilantro to ginger in bowl; toss well. Cover and chill 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Bring remaining soy sauce mixture to a boil; cook 10 minutes or until reduced to 1/4 cup. Remove from heat; slowly add vinegar and oil, stirring with a whisk. Divide soy sauce mixture into 2 equal portions (about 1/4 cup each); set aside. Remove chicken from marinade; discard marinade. Thread chicken and red bell pepper pieces alternately onto skewers. Place the skewers on a grill rack coated with cooking spray. Cover and grill for 8 minutes or until done, turning after 4 minutes and basting occasionally with 1/4 cup reserved soy sauce mixture. Place skewers on a serving platter; serve with remaining 1/4 cup soy sauce mixture.

Bok Choy (Adapted from Steamy Kitchen Blog)

• 1 1/2 pounds baby bok choy
• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1-2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger (using the jar of ginger works too)
• 3 tablespoons water + 3 tablespoons white wine
• salt and pepper to taste

Start by trimming the stem off - don't trim too much - just the end. Cutting the thick stem off will ensure that the bok choy cooks evenly. Separate out the leaves, keep the tender center intact and clean under running  water. Drain. Place wok or saute pan on your stove and pour in the cooking oil. Add the garlic and ginger. Turn the heat to medium-high. Let the ginger and garlic gently sizzle in the oil. When the aromatics become fragrant and light golden brown, add the bok choy leaves. Toss very well to coat each leaf with the garlicky, gingery oil for 15 seconds. Pour in half of the water and wine. Immediately cover and let cook for 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle a bit of sesame oil on top. Top with remainder of the water and wine. Cover and simmer for another couple of minutes.