We went to the Whole Foods Deli today to pick up a container of Imperial Chicken Salad. This has been a favorite. Sadly they had none, but they were kind enough to print out the ingredients! I didn't match their recipe exactly (and made my own flavor adjustments), but it is an excellent one that I am pretty sure makes it into the next version of The Magic Fridge.
Once you cook the chicken, (or Chicken substitute-- tofu, freshly killed game) you can very quickly bring this to life. The core ingredients can sit chopped in your fridge in bulk, in containers. You would need to whip up a dressing and you are ready to eat in minutes. We are calling our version, "Asian Fusion Chicken Salad."
Why Is This Recipe Is Being Highlighted?
A core ingredient is Bok Choy, which is near the top of Dr. Fuhrman's Points System. The foods with the highest points are the best at fighting hunger. When I picked it up at Whole Foods, the label said that Bok Choy contained 819 ANDI Points. That system goes to 1000 because there are so many foods that contain ANDI points values in the single digits. According to my copy of Eat For Health, one hot dog has 8 ANDI points.
Understanding this system is so powerful, because once you have this knowledge you can start "eyeballing" this stuff in your head. You start thinking "1.5 cups of Bok Choy has 100 times the nutrients as a hot dog." Replace basically any green and any meat at you come up with a way of quantifying your food choices. Which helps to give you a reason to make a better decision.
This is important because most of us know that greens are "good for you." But that is an abstraction- once you put some hard numbers around this, it really cranks up your motivation. That 1.5 cup serving of Bok Choy gets you 20% of your way to your ideal daily nutrient intake. (1.5 cups of cooked spinach gets you another 25% towards your daily goal!)
This is the reason that Whole Foods market has now tagged their entire produce section with Dr. Fuhrman's system!*
Ok, Enough With The Science Class, Here Is The Recipe:
Core Ingredients:
- 1 Pound of skinless, boneless, cooked chicken thighs. (Chopped) ($3.50)
- 1 Head of Bok Choy cabbage ($1.99)
- 1 bunch of Green Onions (.99 cents)
- Some parsley (optional and you can swap with Cilantro)
- Almonds (or Almond Butter)
Dressing:
- Toasted Sesame Oil (I did not have this and ended up adding half an avocado instead)
- Lemon Juice (1 large lemon, even more if you want)
- 1 Tablespoon Honey (this is a MUST for the recipe)
- Sea Salt
- Ginger (this is also a must, and we added a lot in our version because we love ginger)
- Couple shakes Crushed Red Pepper
- Pepper
- Jalapeno (this is my addition to the recipe, and I added it for extra flavor because I did not have Sesame oil or parsley)
Instructions:
1. Cook the chicken in a pan, just throw it in and cook until it is done. Drain the fat, cool and cut up. To really turn up the nutrient density, put half the chicken in a container and put it in the fridge to make a second batch later. For a vegan option you can easily substitute the chicken with tofu or some other plant based food.
2. Chop the Bok Choy and Green Onion as finely as you can, toss into a large bowl with the cooled chicken.
3. Break out the food processor or blender and throw in the dressing ingredients. You can really work the flavor here, and adjust to your own tastes.
4. Mix all the ingredients and eat. If you want a spicier salad, add more spices. If you want a nuttier flavor, add more Sesame Oil or other oil
You can also add some fresh chopped spinach to increase the nutrients further. The Bok Choy is super crunchy and makes an excellent base that can support a variety of flavors. I also did not have almonds and squeezed in a pack of Justin's Almond Nut Butter that I had in the house. This is definitely a recipe that I will be making often.
Nutrient Note:
One head of Bok Choy has around 900 mg of Calcium. As you develop the habit of adding Bok Choy to your salads, you'll find yourself eating a lot of it. And getting a lot of calcium in the process!
PS: Have You Downloaded Your Copy Of The PEERtrainer Cheat System? (This recipe will fit right in!)
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I made this recipe last night (Feb. 18, 2011),
and it was beyond excellent! I never had cooked with Bok Choy before but this recipe was all that and more. My family loved it.
I also added the avocado and the Jalapeno spice. Wonderful.Wonderful.Wonderful.
Thank you recommending this recipe!
Posted by: Adeline | 02/19/2011 at 07:00 AM
can someone please provide nutrition(fat fiber carbs and protein) so us weight watcher people can figure out point? Thanks
Posted by: Arlene | 02/19/2011 at 09:49 AM
That sounds amazing I can't wait to make it. I made your energy soup and that is wonderful, I eat it everyday and weight is coming off. Thanks so much for your amazing site.
Posted by: Renee | 02/19/2011 at 12:00 PM
How much sesame oil does this call for?
Posted by: Jenn | 02/20/2011 at 05:42 PM
how much oil?
Posted by: Mandy | 03/03/2011 at 04:03 PM
Keep the oil to a minimum- coconut oil is a pretty good option. breaks down in the body pretty well and gives you energy.
Posted by: PEERtrainer | 03/03/2011 at 06:25 PM
This is a link to information on coconut oil, as well as a link to the brand we have in our house.
Posted by: Link To Good Coconut Oil, Info | 03/03/2011 at 06:27 PM
Love this recipe! Love bok choy. Thanks for introducing me to it. I don't know how I lived without it for so long.
Posted by: Cyndi | 04/03/2011 at 10:52 AM