Cucumber Noodle Salad With Bok Choy And Peanut Dressing

Last week I broke a rule. That rule was to abstain from purchasing any more cookbooks. After decades of collecting, and despite purging so many recipe tear sheets and cookbooks that do not follow the Savory, Sweet and Spicy mission, I still have SO many recipes. I think I could try a new recipe every day for the next 10 years and still not exhaust my collection. But - there it was staring me in the face when I dropped by my local bookstore.

Many of you may already be familiar with Terry Walters, a pioneer in the clean eating lifestyle movement. Well...she has taken her book, Clean Food {published a few years ago} and added 250 new recipes. It was a weak moment and I buckled.  Every single recipe sounds delicious and they are all vegan.  How alkaline and anti-inflammatory is that?!  

I just tried my first recipe from Clean Food - this cucumber noodle salad. It was A+. Easy, quick, healthy.  Definitely inspired by pad Thai. I might be addicted to this cookbook.

Cucumber Noodle Salad With Bok Choy And Peanut Dressing

2 medium cucumbers, peeled

1 medium baby bok choy

- peanut sauce:

1/4 c natural peanut butter

3 T vegetable stock

1 T brown rice vinegar {if you only have white, I am sure that is fine}

1 T fresh grated ginger

1T tamari

1 clove garlic, minced

zest and juice of 1 lime

2 t maple syrup

2-3 dashes of hot sesame oil {or a dash of sesame oil and a dash of hot chili oil}

- topping:

1/4 c chopped fresh cilantro

3-4 scallions chopped

1/4 c chopped peanuts

Slice cucumbers in half lengthwise and remove the seeds with a melon baller. Julienne the cucumber into long strips and place them in a mixing bowl. thinly slice the bok choy crosswise and add the the bowl. 

Place all the peanut sauce ingredients in a bowl and whisk until smooth {Terry says you can use an immersion blender too}. Pour sauce over vegetables and toss evenly to coat. Divide salad among 4 plates. Sprinkle with the toppings and serve.

Source:  Clean Food, Terry Walters