Gingery Stir-Fired Chicken and Bok Choy

We are going through Cook's Illustrated The New Best Recipe Cookbook and trying new things right now, and so tonight we had a stir fry.  Aaron doesn't love stir fry, so he only gave this a 6, but he said, and I agree, the chicken was great.  Noah and I gave it an 8, and if we had had peanut oil, I think it would've been even better.  The calories for this recipe, with rice, are 334.  This is a quick dinner, and tastes fresh and delicious, just like all of Cook's Illustrated's recipes do :).  Here's the recipe, and even though it looks like a lot of steps, it's actually not difficult or time-consuming.

Marinated Velveted Chicken for Stir-Fry from Cook's Illustrated New Best Recipe
1/4 c soy sauce
1/4 c dry sherry (I used 1 T red wine vinegar and 3/8 c chicken broth)
1 c water
1 lb skinless chicken breasts cut into chunks
2 T sesame oil
1 T cornstarch
1 T flour

1. Combine the soy sauce, sherry, and water in a medium bowl; add chicken and stir to break up the clumps.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 30 minutes or up to 1 hour.
2. Mix the sesame oil, cornstarch, and flour together ina medium bowl until smooth.  Drain the chicken in a mesh strainer.  Toss the chicken in the conrstarch-flour mixture until evenly coated.  Use immediately in the Bok Choy stir-fry.

Gingery Stir-Fried Chicken and Bok Choy from Cook's Illustrated New Best Recipe Cookbook
1/4 c chicken broth
2 T dry sherry (I used vinegar and water)
1 T soy sauce
1 T oyster sauce
1/2 t sesame oil
1 t cornstarch
1 t sugar
1/4 t red pepper flakes
4 t minced fresh ginger
1 medium garlic clove minced
2 T and 2 t peanut or vegetable oil, divided
1 recipe marinated velveted chicken for stir fry
1 small head bok choy (about 1 pound), washed and dried, stalks and greens separated, stalks cut on the bias into 1/4-inch slices and greens cut into 1/2-inch strips
1 small red pepper (I used 1/2 a green pepper), cored, seeded, and cut into 1/4-inch strips

1. Whisk the chicken broth, sherry, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, cornstarch, sugar, red pepper flakes, and 2 t of the minced ginger in a small bowl.  Combine the remaining 2 t ginger, the garlic, and 1 t peanut oil in another small bowl.
2. Heat 2 t peanut oil in a 12-inch non-stick skillet over high heat until smoking; add half of the chicken in a flat, even layer.  Cook, without stirring but gently separating the pieces, until golden brown on the first side, about 1 minute; turn the chicken pieces over and cook until lightly browned on the second side, about 30 seconds.  Transfer the chicken to a clean bowl.  Repeat with an additional 2 t peanut oil and the remaining chicken.
3. Add 1 T peanut oil to the now-empty skillet; heat until just smoking.  Add teh bok choy stalks and red bell pepper; stir-fry until they begin to brown, about 1 minute.  Push the remaining vegetables to the sides of the skillet to clear the center; add the garlic-ginger mixture to the clearing and cook, mashing the mixture with a spoon, until fragrant, 15-20 seconds, then stir the mixture into the stalks and continue to cook until the stalks are tender-crisp, about 30 seconds longer.  Stir in the bok choy greens and cook until they begin to wilt, about 30 seconds.  Return the chicken to the skillet.  Whisk the sauce to recombine and add to the skillet.  Reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce is thickened and the chicken is cooked through, about 30 seconds.  Transfer to a serving platter and serve immediately with rice.

If you get everything prepared while the chicken is marinating, this goes into the pan and is ready in at most 10 mintues.  This tastes great and is super easy.

Tomorrow we're having another chicken dish, and some potatoes and green beans.