Wonderful in the Wok

     It was a Monday. A chase-ten-rabbits-put-out-five-fires kind of Monday. To relieve the crazy building up in my being I went to the gym to sweat out the ugly. While this is excellent therapy and amazing for centering the tension, it is not excellent to realize you only had a handful of cereal, a cup of coffee, and a smoothie. A high intensity workout on those rations- not excellent.
     The ride home found me zoning my attention toward the contents of my very old and oh-so-tired fridge- thank goodness the farm boy was driving because I would never have made it. Fresh kale, some roasted chicken were forefront; time to dream up some aroma.
      For me the staples are garlic, ginger and a touch of heat- to that add whatever your senses long for and you have the beginning of a wonderful meal. With those in mind, a bit of white wine for sweet, a touch of sesame for earthiness, and a swoosh of vinegar stand as base to flavor the elements. Kale being front and center, there must always (in my opinion) be a hint of lemon and a good hit of salt- otherwise it's just 'too green'.
      A frantic bit of chop, the gathering of a few bottles, and we heat the wok to the point of smoking before- let the magic begin! Remember, heat, oil, aroma, sear, then sauce. Let's fire it up.

Kale & Chicken Recovery Meal

Aroma:

drizzle of sesame oil

2 clove garlic, smashed

1 nub ginger, rough chopped

1 chile, crushed

 

Elements;

1 bunch kale, cleaned and chopped

1 large carrot, cleaned and julienned

1 chicken breast, cooked and shredded

 

Sauce:

1/4 cup white wine

1 tablespoon sesame vinegar

1 tablespoon sesame oil

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 teaspoon honey

 

Add-in:

1/4 cup toasted pumpkin seeds

1/4 cup dried cranberry

 

Cut, prep, and whisk- get everything on hand.

Get that wok smoking hot before gently drizzling the oil down the sides and turning the wok to coat.

Toss in the aromatics and swirl them around to release their fragrance and flavor.

Remove them.

Toss in the carrots, sautéing until they have a bit of char (2 min).

Add the kale giving it a toss and turn until it takes on a hearty, dark color (1 min).

Add chicken to warm.

Drizzle the sauce down the sides of the wok.

Toss and incorporate allowing everything to meld together.

Sprinkle the pumpkins seeds and cranberry giving one more toss.

Serve it hot!

 

     Being completely honest, I ate two bowls of this wonderful dish- perfect recovery meal. Those wonderful nutrients, hearty protein, tossed with a warm sauce- seeds for crunch and cranberries for a hint of whimsy- yum! The farm boy was quite irritated no leftovers would be had tomorrow, although he did tell me to lay off the sesame oil- he is not a fan. Oh, well. You can't please everyone.