Ga Kho Gung

This picture is a beautiful as
the ginger, honey and lemongrass smell
(I wish I had any star anise)

As many of you may know, I’m working on getting my fitness levels back to where they were in 2010 just in time for my 40th birthday. I know, at 40 the body turns to shit anyway - we start to lose our muscle mass, the dreaded prostate exams start, etc. So why care? So I can still live a good and happy life until I’m ready to call it quits. I want to be able to walk when I’m 90 and avoid diabetes. You know, that stuff.


Therefore, I googled “healthy ethnic cuisine” to find a new recipe for my Around the World in a Pot! The CNN Health article I found named Vietnamese as one of the ten healthiest cuisines. I was determined to find a Vietnamese meal that I could make in the slow cooker. I searched the web and found Vietnamese inspired slow cooker recipes, but nothing very authentic. (Not that what I cook is authentic, but it’s close.) In the comments of the open forum boards that I found myself on, I noticed several comments that mentioned that Ga Kho Gung (Vietnamese Braised Chicken with Ginger) might lend itself to the slow cooker. However, I didn’t find any recipes; so I’m taking a stab.

The marinated chicken added
to the slow cooker

Kho comes from the Vietnamese for to braise, stew or simmer, and it is a cooking technique in which a protein (fish, shrimp, poultry, pork, beef or fried tofu) is braised on low heat in a mixture of fish sauce, sugar, and water or a water substitute such as young coconut juice. It lends itself to being a slow cooker dish due to the slow cooking.

The CNN article highlights the use of fresh herbs and cooking techniques that use water or broth as the ways that Vietnamese food stays lower in calories. So I followed these guidelines in adapting the Ga Kho Gung to the slow cooker, using water, adding a few more herbs to the dish and switching out white sugar with antioxidant and antimicrobial honey. 

As for dinner, both of my sources suggested serving over rice, which I will make brown rice.  Also, I think that it would pair nicely with an Asian flavored kale salad that I found on LIVESTRONG's blog: Nutty Kale Salad. This will make a wonderful meal on my gym days where I, per Lose It!, earn an extra 500+ calories from elliptical and weight-training.

Ga Kho Gung (Vietnamese Braised Chicken with Ginger), adapted from Cookin' Canuck's Ga Kho & SparkRecipes' Ga Kho

Based on 8 servings,
courtesy of Calorie Count by about.com

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp plus 1 tsp fish sauce
• ¼ tsp kosher salt
• ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
• ½ tsp dried red chili flakes
• 2 garlic cloves, sliced 
• 3 lbs. bone-in, skinless chicken thighs, fat trimmed, generously seasoned with kosher salt 
• ¼ cup honey 
• ½ cup water 
• ½ medium onion, finely chopped 
• ½ cup fresh ginger, peeled, and cut into matchsticks 
• 3 to 5 star anise pods (optional) 
• lemongrass (optional) 
• 3 green onions, thinly sliced 
• a handful of mint, thinly sliced

Directions:

1. Mix marinade of fish sauce, salt, pepper, chili flake and one of the cloves of garlic; add chicken and let it sit overnight. 
2. In the slow cooker, add honey, water, onion, ginger, star anise and the remaining clove of garlic – mixing well; add the chicken and stir together.
3. Cook on low for 8 hours. 
4. Serve with sliced green onions and mint as a garnish. 

Serves 8

Based on 7 servings,
courtesy of Calorie Count by about.com

Nutty Kale Salad, adapted from LIVESTRONG's blog.

Ingredients:

• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• ¾ cup apple cider vinegar
• ½ cup natural chunky peanut butter
• 3 tbsp honey
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 14 cups kale

Directions:

1. Prepare the dressing, mixing the soy sauce and rice vinegar, then whisk in the peanut butter and honey; when those ingredients are combined, add the garlic and cumin and let sit.
2. Wash, clean and dry the kale. De-vein the kale and chiffonade the leaves.
3. In a large bowl dress the kale to be thoroughly covered with dressing and let sit in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours to soften the greens for a better texture. 

Serves 6-7