The Bok Choy Salad Makeover

We often have potluck dinners at my church. A couple of years ago, Sally and Craig brought a bok choy salad that so many people liked that everyone clamored to have the recipe published in the church newsletter. Being an easy to make “crowd-pleaser” salad, I kept the recipe because I relished the thought of sharing it with others, and if truth be told, getting a bit of glory for bringing it to a party.

Since then I have had conversion about what constitutes a healthy diet. So when I recently went to make the recipe, I ran into a few issues.

The first problem was that the recipe called for Chinese chow mein noodles. You see, I had read the label on the noodle can and to my chagrin, there it was: partially hydrogenated soybean oil, also known as a Trans fat! Uh-oh, Trans fat! Can’t have that in my salad!

I searched several food stores including a health food store for healthy Chinese chow mein noodles without Trans fat, but alas, there were none that I could find. What to do?

Well, I thought, the Chinese noodles were crunchy. Maybe I could use carrots or water chestnuts instead. It wouldn’t be the same, but I decided it would still taste good. So I decided on water chestnuts, hoping that the can did not supply BPA which is linked to cancer. To be safe, I probably should have just gone with the julienne carrots. Maybe next time.

"Most canned goods are coated with a resin lining derived from Bisphenol-A (BPA). A component of polycarbonate plastic, BPA may be linked to certain cancers, fertility and behavioral problems in children. The risk is especially great when exposed in the womb; women who are pregnant or are thinking of becoming pregnant and young children should be especially careful of their canned-food intake." From “Nine ways to Avoid Household Toxins” by Christina Gillham, Oct. 1, 2008.

The next hurdle was the butter. You see, the recipe called for sautéing the sliced almonds and sesame seed in ¼ cup of butter. Too much butter, I thought. Better make that olive oil, and cut it drastically. I have toasted almonds before without any oil, so the one tablespoon of olive oil is plenty if the heat is not too high.

The sugar in the original recipe was a little much for someone trying to be healthy so I went with agave syrup, in a much smaller amount.

Here is the recipe. Enjoy it in health!

Healthy Bok Choy Salad
- Thanks to Sally and Craig for their original recipe!

Serves 8

1 T olive oil
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1.5 oz. sliced almonds (slightly less than ½ cup)

Heat oil. Sauté sesame seeds and almonds until golden, being careful not to burn.

1 lb. Bok choy, sliced
1 package Ramen, broken up into tiny bite-sized pieces. (Discard the seasoning packet.)
1 cup sliced water chestnuts (or sliced carrots)
2 scallions, chopped.

Toss all the above together.

3/8 cup canola oil (organic is best!)
1/8 cup red wine vinegar
1 Tablespoon agave syrup/nectar
1 Tablespoon soy sauce

Mix together and toss with salad just before serving.