I have this friend, (I know, I know, you’re thinking “you ain’t got no friends!” But I have a couple) she is my foodie inspiration. She was cooking, and getting me interested in it back when I struggled making boxed mac ‘n’ cheese correctly. Before her, I didn’t really have the kind of friends who cooked. Most of their ideas for meal planning was “which drive thru is getting my combo business tonight?” So when I met this friend, I was curious. She cooked, and with actual ingredients, not boxed stuff. And she LIKED it! Had everyone lied to me all my life? Could cooking actually be fun? Not just a chore to feed hungry people who want to survive, but actually something to be enjoyed? Surely not!
The more I hung out with her, the more I realized that I loved food, not just the eating part, but cooking it and learning about it. I had no idea that a single person could actually cook for themselves and not just for a special occasion.
Anytime I am stumped with an ingredient, or just feeling uninspired, I’ll run my ideas by her, or ask her what she thinks I should make. Her food knowledge is pretty impressive, and it’s nice to have a different food background giving me ideas.
So as I was trying to think about what to do with all these leafy greens, she suggested an Asian hot pot. I would have never thought about that, but I looked up some recipes, and started throwing stuff together.
Here is how I made it:
1 Onion – 3/4 thinly sliced, 1/4 finely diced
2 Tbs Olive Oil
2 Cloves Garlic
2 Handfuls Swiss Chard – sliced into very thin strips
1 Tbs Ginger
2 Carrots -diced small
6-8 Cups Chicken Broth
2 Chicken Breasts -sliced thin
Large Handful of Bok Choy – cut into large pieces
Salt
Sauté sliced onions in olive oil over med/high heat. Add salt.
Grate garlic cloves into pot.
Add chard and a pinch of salt, and sauté.
Grate ginger into pan.
Add carrots cook until they start to caramelize.
Pour in chicken stock and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to medium and add chicken; let it cook completely.
About 10 minutes prior to serving, add bok choy.
This was really good, and also great for lunch the next day. And if you have picky eaters who won’t eat green stuff, it’s ok, bc there is still a lot of nutrition in the broth from the veggies.
So to my friend who is always willing to give me a push, it her with cooking, or just in general, thanks! And this is probably as nice as as I’m ever going to be to you!
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