A quarter bottle of stir fry sauce deserves a starring role, not a supporting one, so tonight you braise chicken thighs in it with whatever greens are at hand. The sauce reduces and clings to the meat while the greens wilt into its savory depth.

Serves 2. 35 minutes, 10 at the stove.

About 360 calories a serving, 30 g protein, 3 g carbohydrate, 25 g fat. From USDA figures for 60% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

You need 2 tablespoons oil, 3 cloves garlic, half a medium onion, to taste salt, to taste pepper, 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, 8 ounces bok choy or other greens.

1. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over high heat. Season 4 chicken thighs with salt and pepper, then set them skin-side down in the pan and let them brown without moving them for 5 minutes, until the skin is golden and releases easily.5 min
2. Turn the chicken and brown the other side for 3 minutes. Transfer the thighs to a plate.3 min
3. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from the skillet. Add half a medium onion sliced and 3 cloves garlic minced, cooking over medium heat until softened, about 2 minutes, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan.2 min
4. Pour in the quarter bottle of stir fry sauce and add 1/4 cup water. Nestle the chicken back into the pan skin-side up, cover loosely, and simmer gently for 15 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.15 min
5. Lay 8 ounces bok choy or other greens on top of the chicken, cover again, and cook for 2 more minutes until the greens are just tender. Taste the sauce and adjust salt and pepper as needed, then serve the chicken and greens in bowls with the sauce spooned over everything.2 min

Note Swap the greens for cabbage, kale, or spinach depending on what you have. Leftovers keep refrigerated for three days and reheat gently in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit [175 degrees Celsius] for 10 minutes. Serve with steamed rice or egg noodles to catch every drop of sauce.

Half a jar of stir fry sauce is the whole point tonight. This is a quick weeknight dinner that lets the sauce do the work, with chicken and whatever greens you have on hand to soak it up.

Serves 2. 25 minutes, 20 at the stove.

About 560 calories a serving, 54 g protein, 14 g carbohydrate, 32 g fat. From USDA figures for 100% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

You need 1/2 cup stir fry sauce, 2 tablespoons oil, to taste salt, to taste pepper, 2 cloves garlic, 12 ounces boneless chicken thighs or breasts, 6 ounces leafy greens such as bok choy or spinach.

1. Pat 12 ounces of chicken dry with paper towels and cut it into bite-sized pieces. Mince 2 cloves of garlic.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil shimmers, add the chicken and cook until it is golden on all sides and cooked through, about 8 minutes, stirring now and then.8 min
3. Add the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. Pour in 1/2 cup of stir fry sauce and stir to coat the chicken.
4. Add 6 ounces of chopped leafy greens and stir until they begin to wilt, about 2 minutes. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed. Divide between two bowls and serve.2 min

Note Swap the greens for broccoli or bell peppers if you prefer. Leftovers keep in a covered container in the fridge for three days and can be reheated gently on the stovetop. Serve over rice or rice noodles to stretch it further.

A weeknight pasta that rescues the last of the stir fry sauce by mixing it into silky noodles with fried egg. The sauce clings to the pasta and gives it all the seasoning you need, with no other pots to wash.

Serves 2. 25 minutes, 20 at the stove.

About 650 calories a serving, 23 g protein, 94 g carbohydrate, 20 g fat. From USDA figures for 86% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

You need 3 tablespoons stir fry sauce, 8 ounces pasta, 2 tablespoons oil, 2 cloves garlic, half a medium onion, 2 eggs, to taste salt, 4 ounces bok choy or cabbage.

1. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook 8 ounces of pasta until just tender, about 8 to 10 minutes, stirring once. While it cooks, mince 2 cloves of garlic, slice half a medium onion into thin pieces, and cut 4 ounces of bok choy or cabbage into bite-sized pieces.10 min
2. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and fry 2 eggs sunny-side up until the whites are set but the yolks still run, about 3 to 4 minutes, then slide them onto a plate.4 min
3. In the same skillet, stir the garlic and onion over medium-high heat until fragrant and softened, about 2 minutes. Add the bok choy and cook until tender, about 2 minutes more.4 min
4. Drain the pasta and tip it into the skillet, then add 3 tablespoons of stir fry sauce and toss everything together until the sauce coats every strand and the pasta is hot, about 1 minute. Taste and add salt if needed.1 min
5. Divide the pasta between two bowls and top each with one fried egg. Serve at once.

Note Swap bok choy for any green vegetable you have on hand. Leftovers keep covered in the fridge for two days and reheat gently with a splash of water; add a fresh fried egg at the table. Serve with cucumber slices or kimchi on the side for crunch.