Wrapping It Up: Bok Choy Chicken Wraps and Asparagus Spring Rolls

When LG Health dietitian Janelle Glick gets cooking, you know the results will be healthy, delicious, and creative. Both the wraps and spring rolls pair well with peanut sauce. 

Bok choy, a staple in Asian cooking, sometimes referred to as white cabbage, is packed with vitamins A and C.

INGREDIENTS

• 8 large bok choy leaves
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, trimmed and cut into bite-size pieces
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup prepared peanut sauce (see recipe below)
• 1 cup julienned Asian pear
• 1 cup julienned English cucumber
• ¼ cup finely chopped fresh cilantro

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Wash and dry bok choy leaves well, keeping them whole with stem on.
2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken, season with salt and cook, stirring often, until cooked through, 4-6 minutes.
3. To assemble, place a few pieces of chicken, pear, cucumber, and cilantro on the middle of the leaf. Top with a drizzle of the peanut sauce. Serve the chicken in the cabbage leaves, topped with pear, cucumber and cilantro.

Asparagus Spring Rolls

Not only is it delicious, asparagus is also a very good source of fiber, folate, and vitamins A, C, E and K. 

INGREDIENTS

• Oil for the grill
• 1 pound asparagus, ends snapped
• 12 oz. cooked chicken breast strips
• 1 cup jicama, peeled and sliced into matchstick
• 1 small watermelon radish, peeled and sliced into matchsticks
• 2 large carrots, scrubbed and peeled into ribbons
• 3 scallions, washed and slivered on the diagonal
• 1 small bunch mint leaves, washed and dried
• 1 large handful pea sprouts or other sprouts, washed and dried
• 2 medium, ripe but firm avocados, seeded, peeled, and sliced
• 20 rice paper wrappers
• ½ cup peanut sauce (recipe attached) for dipping

INSTRUCTIONS

Make the spring rolls:

1. Preheat your grill (or stovetop grill) and brush lightly with oil. Grill the asparagus in batches until cooked through and bronzed, turning once. Remove and let cool. Have the cooked chicken, jicama, watermelon radish, carrots, scallions, mint, pea sprouts, and avocados prepped and ready to go in individual bowls. Fill a shallow, wide bowl with warm water. Soak a rice paper wrapper in the water for 10 - 20 seconds, then remove and place on a cutting board. On the lower third, place a few pieces of chicken, asparagus (trimmed to fit with a 1-2 inch border on each side of the wrapper), jicama, radish, carrot, scallions, mint, pea sprouts, and avocado. Fold the bottom of the wrapper up over the filling. Fold the edges in, then continue to roll up. It may take a few tries to get the wrapper tight around the filling without tearing it. Keep the finished rolls covered as you work so they stay moist.
2. Slice the rolls in half (if desired) and serve with the dipping sauce. They keep well, airtight, for up to 1 day.

Nutritional Information
Nutrition (per roll) with peanut sauce: 120 calories, 3 g fat (0.5 g saturated fat), 9 mg cholesterol, 108 mg sodium, 11 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 1 g sugar, 5 g protein

Peanut Sauce

INGREDIENTS

• 1 can (14 oz.) coconut milk
• ⅔ cup natural, unsweetened peanut butter
• Zest from 1 lime
• ¼ cup water
• 2 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 2 teaspoons red curry paste
• 2 tablespoon soy sauce or fish sauce

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Puree all ingredients together in the blender. Refrigerate leftover sauce.

Nutritional Information
Nutrition per wrap with peanut sauce: 100 calories, 4.5 g fat, 1.7 g saturated fat, 20 mg cholesterol, 230 mg sodium, 5 g carbohydrates, 1 g fiber, 10 g protein