I have always loved San Choy Bow as a light, simple and heathy dinner option even when I go out to a restaurant for dinner. Low on carbohydrates, once you have the ingredients you need in the pantry, it really only takes a few minutes to cook a tasty & healthy dinner option that everyone will enjoy.
For this recipe I use organic chicken mince and if you have young children who need a more substantial meal then it is just as scrumptious on some rice or noodles instead of lettuce cups.
For the busy amongst you, I always recommend cooking double of dishes like this. Put simply, it means you have another meal at your fingertips on those days where the thought of preparing dinner after an enormous working day makes you grumpy like me!
This recipe is perfect for freezing, so making double is a must in my opinion.
With most recipes, you can substitute ingredients for what you have in your fridge. I use grated carrot, mushrooms, zucchini, spring onions, red capsicum and Chinese cabbage if I have some for this recipe. This way, I get a range of colours and flavours. Combined with fresh garlic, ginger, coriander and chilli, these parcels of goodness are a wonderful dinner suggestion for a busy weekday.
I always add a load of organic vegetables to my San Choy Bow so that they are a formidable contributor to the meal and for kids, it is a fabulous way to hide vegetables from picky taste buds.
I am a big fan of organic chicken mince due to the way the chickens are treated and fed and the lack of detrimental health impacts of commercial meat and where possible I try to use more natural ingredients.
Sadly, many free-range brands state that they are free from additives and make claims on how chickens are treated, however unless they are formally certified by Australian Certified Organic (ACO) or Free Range Egg and Poultry Australia (FREPA) these claims simply can’t be guaranteed. When a brand has a formal certified organic accreditation, you have a guarantee that they are audited on a regular basis to hold this logo and accreditation. To me, this is important, and it is something I am passionate about sharing with the community, so they are well informed when making choices.
Ingredients
- 1 kilo of organic chicken mince
- 1 large carrot or 2 small, grated
- 1 large zucchini finely diced
- 1 large red or green capsicum, finely diced
- 8 spring onions, finely chopped
- 1 cup of finely chopped button mushrooms
- 1 cup of shredded chinese cabbage
- 6 cloves of garlic, finely diced or crushed
- 2 large green chillies, finely sliced or ½ teaspoon of red chilli flakes
- 2 thumb sized pieces of ginger, finely sliced or grated
- 1 small tin of water chestnuts, finely chopped
- 1 large tablespoon of coconut oil
- 2 tablespoons of sesame oil
- 4 tablespoons of fish sauce
- ¼ cup coconut aminos, tamari or gluten free sauce
- 1 tablespoon of maple syrup
- 2 heaped teaspoons of Chinese 5 spice
- Large handful of finely chopped fresh coriander
- 4-6 baby Romaine lettuce leaves
Instructions
Heat your coconut oil in a large fry pan or wok on medium heat and add garlic, ginger, spring onions and chilli and cook until fragrant.
Now add your chicken mince and break up whilst cooking with a fork until the mince has lost any pink colour.
Add your vegetables, water chestnuts and sesame oil and stir through until vegetable mix has reduced and is more tender.
Now add coconut aminos, fish sauce, maple syrup and Chinese 5 spice and stir until sauce has evaporated a little.
Add fresh coriander for the final minute and stir through.
Lettuce preparation
I use baby romaine lettuce for this recipe as they are the perfect shape, however iceberg can be used also!
To make your lettuce crispy, submerge them in cold water for about 30 minutes with some ice cubes and then pat dry before using.
Scoop chicken mixture into lettuce cups.
Enjoy!!!
