Satay-Style Almond Chicken with Bok Choy

I have come to really love my broiler.  At our previous apartment, we had the sort that was at the very bottom of the oven, and it was very fussy -- things were always sliding out of place at the wrong moment and there was more than one dish that ended up on the floor.  Our new apartment has the type that's just part of the regular oven, so you can use the normal racks and your own pans, and I now use it at least once a week to broil chicken for salads, brown fritattas, and crisp up bar-style tortilla pizzas,  This dish is a perfect example of perfect broiler food -- it's done in just 10 minutes or so, and gets great flavor.

The first step is whisking up a quick almond satay sauce.  You can also use peanut butter here; I just happened to have almond butter on hand.  The sauce requires no cooking, and is insanely good.  I kind of want to make another batch just to keep in the fridge for dipping everything and anything!  The sauce coats bok choy and chicken breasts, both of which cook super fast under the broiler.  I may have let my bok choy go a little long, but I love that charred flavor! Keep a close eye and pull yours out early if you want less browning.  This recipe would also work well with broccoli or green beans on the side -- any quick-cooking green vegetable.  Just adjust the cooking time and pull out the veggies when they are tender.  Also on the side: leftover balsamic onions from this winter chicken salad.

Satay-Style Almond Chicken with Bok Choy (adapted from Sheet Pan Suppers)
Serves 2

Olive oil cooking spray
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons creamy almond butter
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup warm water
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 T packed dark brown sugar
1 T Sriracha
1 T rice vinegar
1 T freshly squeezed lime juice
1 large bok choy, trimmed, leaves separated and rinsed well
1/2 to 3/4 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, pounded thin and cut into 4 pieces

1. Preheat the oven to broil, and place a rack 4 inches from the heat.  Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil and spray with oil.
2. Whisk together the almond butter, soy sauce, warm water, sesame oil, brown sugar, Sriracha, vinegar, and lime juice until smooth.  Set aside 1/4 cup in a separate bowl for serving.
3. Rub the bok choy and chicken with the remaining sauce to coat, and arrange in a single layer on the prepared pan.  Broil about 4 minutes, then remove the bok choy to a serving plate and flip the chicken. Return the chicken to the oven for another 5 minutes or so, until cooked through.  Keep a close eye throughout.
4. Serve hot, with the reserved dipping sauce on the side.