Bok Choy and Pineapple Salad with Peanut Dressing

I am not a huge Bok Choy fan, I like it ok…have a few recipes  enjoy…but raw?  I don’t care for the heavy raw slightly bitter taste.  BUT, I made this last week and promptly made more!  My son, who doesn’t eat Bok Choy, really loved it!  I think you will too…

This is from Chow, a favorite foodie site of mine!

For the dressing:

• 1/4 cup natural smooth peanut butter (no added sugar or salt)
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice (from about 2 medium limes)
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons packed dark brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons fish sauce
• 1 medium garlic clove, smashed
• 1 teaspoon chili-garlic paste
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

For the salad:

• 2 pounds baby Bok Choy
• 2 1/2 cups fresh small-dice pineapple (from about 1/2 medium pineapple)
• 2 medium carrots, peeled, halved lengthwise, then thinly sliced crosswise
• 1/2 medium English cucumber, quartered lengthwise, then thinly sliced crosswise
• 1 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/2 cup roasted, salted peanuts, coarsely chopped
• 2 medium scallions, thinly sliced (white and light green parts only)

For the dressing:

1. Place all of the ingredients except the oil in a blender and blend on high until smooth. With the motor running, slowly stream in the oil until it is fully incorporated; set the dressing aside in the blender.

For the salad:

1. Cut the bok choy in half lengthwise, rinse it, and dry it. Cut the leaves crosswise into 1-inch-wide ribbons, cut the stalks crosswise into 1/4-inch pieces, and transfer both to a large bowl.
2. Add the remaining ingredients, drizzle with the dressing, and toss to combine. Serve immediately.

This light and refreshing salad is a loose interpretation of the popular Indonesian dish gado-gado. In our easy version, a spiced peanut dressing is blended until creamy and then tossed with thinly sliced raw baby bok choy, pineapple, carrots, cucumber, cilantro, and scallions. To turn this healthy side dish into a flavorful meal, top it with Shrimp.

What to buy: Look for chili-garlic paste in the Asian section of your supermarket. We like the one made by Huy Fong Foods (with the rooster on the jar).

Game plan: You can prepare the vegetables a few hours ahead of time and store them separately in the refrigerator. The dressing can also be prepared a few hours ahead, but it may need to be reblended when you’re ready to serve. Make sure to dress the salad just before serving; otherwise it’ll wilt as it sits.