thursday recipe: chicken san choy bow

If you're looking for new ways of getting your kids to eat more veggies (who isn't?), then this dish is a good one.

I'm working on the rainbow method at the moment, which goes like this "how many colours of the rainbow have you eaten today Sol?" As you can see there is a rainbow of colour in this meal and by placing the ingredients in the centre of the table your family can wrap up the veggies in the lettuce cups that they pick out for themselves.

The choosing for themselves part is important because it makes them feel like they're in control which can be key with some kids. Frustrating as that is! Be nice if we could just say I'm the boss I make the rules eat your dinner (to some degree that does work!) but most people I know who have a fussy eater at the table realise that they need to be a little craftier than that.

Plus, this dish allows you to include foods that you know they will eat alongside new or not so favorite foods. Don't fall into the trap of thinking and then saying 'you don't eat carrot', the less said the better!

This is definitely not a strict recipe, whatever is in season, in your garden or in your fridge that is fresh and delicious will work in this.

Another bonus with this is the absence of carbs! I'm not anti carbs but lots of kids are carb addicts living on cereal, sandwiches and pasta. This is a great dish to break that habit.

Many san choy bow recipes call for things like oyster sauce or hoi sin sauce, I've made this without them because most of those ready made sauces are brimming with salt, sugar and additives. You just don't need them, there are far more natural ways to give your food flavour. I've kept the chicken part quite plain intentionally so that it is kid friendly and then you can add extra flavours at the table when it comes to the wrapping.

I hope your family has fun trying this dish out. Let me know how it goes.

Chicken san choy bow

Ingredients

1kg minced chicken
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 cm ginger, finely grated
1 carrot finely grated
1 tbsp tamari
Half to one tsp honey
coconut oil

1 iceberg lettuce, leaves kept whole gently peeled apart and washed
1 carrot cut into sticks
1 avocado sliced
1 bunch coriander roughly chopped
1-2 red chillies finely sliced
3/4 cup dry roasted cashews chopped
10 snowpeas finely sliced on the diagonal
1/2 brown or red onion finely sliced
3 spring onions sliced
8 cherry tomatoes sliced
1 lime cut into wedges

To make
Prepare all salad ingredients and arrange on a platter.
Heat frypan or wok to high heat and melt about a dessertspoon of coconut oil.
When oil is hot add the chicken to the pan with the garlic, ginger and carrot.
Cook for 3-4 minutes until meat has just changed colour.
Add in tamari and honey and cook for another 2 minutes.
**Adjust the seasonings (tamari, honey, ginger, garlic) to your taste in this recipe adding more or less accordingly.

To eat
Place cooked chicken and salad ingredients of choice into lettuce cup, wrap and munch!

If you enjoy this recipe please share it with your friends.