Non-Fried Fried Rice with Bok Choy

I am so eager to tell you all about an extraordinary dish we sampled over the weekend... but I would be amiss if I didn't first tell you about the healthful non-fried "fried rice" we fixed last week, which was far too scrumptious to be kept in the shadows any longer...

My obsession with bok choy is hardly clandestine, for I have confessed my fondness at least once before on the blog... I'm not quite sure why I'm so captivated by this jaunty vegetable, with wide, dark green leaves waving merrily and crisp, translucent-white stalks standing stalwart; I am simply, inexplicably drawn to bunches of bok choy the way one might be drawn to a more reasonable culinary crush, such as dark chocolate or Parmesan cheese.

Thus, when I spotted these flawless little bundles of bok choy on sale for 99 cents a pound at the veritable heaven which is the produce section of our local H-Mart, I could scarcely contain my enthusiasm...

As soon as I arrived home, I was galvanized into action, already envisioning a healthful, vegetable-packed "non-fried rice" dish... I tossed brown rice with skillet-crisped vegetables all cooked together with just a soupcon of canola and sesame oils, and then, in place of the usual peanuts for a little crunchy element, I added chickpeas to boost the fiber and marry happily with the rice to create a complete protein. Oh yes, and my beautiful bok choy, the leaves just wilted to perfection, the stalks still bright and crispy, celebrating in a blissful marinade with fiery chili paste...

Non-Fried Fried Rice with Bok Choy

1/4 cup soy sauce
2 T rice vinegar
1 T honey or agave nectar
2 T toasted sesame oil
1 tsp chili paste
4 egg whites (optional - leave out the eggs for a vegan dish)
3 whole eggs (optional - leave out the eggs for a vegan dish)
1 T canola oil
1 onion, chopped
1 large carrot, minced
2 stalks celery, minced
4 cloves garlic
6 bunches baby bok choy, thinly sliced lengthwise into long strips
4 cups cooked brown rice
1 (14.5 oz) can chickpeas, drained

~ In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey or agave nectar, and toasted sesame oil.
~ If you're using the eggs, beat together the egg whites and whole eggs, and season to taste with black pepper and a wee bit of salt. In a medium skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat, cook the eggs omelet-style. Remove the pan from the heat, gently slice the omelet into thin strips, then slice the strips again the other way to make small cubes.
~ In a large wok over high heat, quickly stir-fry the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic in the canola oil until the onion is limp and translucent.
~ Add the bok choy, and continue to stir-fry a bit more until the bok choy leaves just begin to wilt.
~ Reduce the heat to medium, and stir in the brown rice and the chickpeas. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until the brown rice is lightly toasted.
~ Stir in the chopped egg and the soy sauce mixture, and heat through.
~ Serve warm!