Kimchi Shirataki Bok Choy Bowl
I love this light yet filling Shirataki Bok Choy Bowl. Its quick prep and cooking time makes this bowl a perfect choice for a fast lunch or when you are short on time in the evening. But don’t let its simplicity fool you. It is a nutrient-dense meal and with 6 cups of greens (bok choy plus the kale, chard, or spinach), it gives you a mighty antioxidant boost. Bok choy belongs to the cruciferous family of vegetables. Crucifers contain sulforaphane, which helps to improve detoxification pathways. Sulforaphane boosts production of glutathione, which, as the fans of my latest book BRAIN BODY DIET know, is the queen of detoxifiers in the body. Glutathione protects cells by cleaning up excess free radicals, the enemy agents with unpaired electrons that damage DNA, cell membranes, and proteins.
And don’t forget the kimchi. I love the spicy kick of kimchi, making it one of my favorite probiotic foods. Probiotics help improve gut dysfunction or dysbiosis. As our understanding of the gut continues to deepen, we are learning just how much poor gut health can disrupt the gut-brain axis and affect everything from our moods, stubborn weight gain, to our brain health. I try to eat at least four to five forkfuls of probiotic foods per day. Other probiotic foods include sauerkraut and kefir.
Ingredients
Serves 2
2 packages (7 ounces each) thin vermicelli shirataki noodles
4 cups thinly sliced baby bok choy
2 Japanese eggplants, thinly sliced (about 2 cups)
1 tablespoon coconut oil, preferably unrefined and expeller-pressed
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
2 cups thinly sliced greens (kale, chard, or spinach)
Kimchi to taste
2 tablespoons sesame oil
Preparation
- Sauté one package of the shirataki noodles, baby bok choy, and Japanese eggplant in coconut oil, or steam.
- Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
- Assemble all ingredients in a pretty bowl: greens and uncooked shirataki on the bottom, sautéed mixture in the middle, and kimchi on the top, all drizzled with sesame oil.