Macrobiotic Recipe of the Month - May 2008

Becoming Whole...life in balance
After eating Karen (Dunton) Wildwood's pressed salad a couple of weeks back, I realized that I don't make enough of these tasty, low-cal, delicious salads. They're highly recommended in macrobiotic cooking, are packed with nutrients and enzymes, and are easy to make. Pressed salads keep well in the refrigerator for a few days, too ... so can be made ahead of time if needed (but, of course fresh is best!).
The possibilities of vegetable combinations are endless. This is what I came up with, and this is how it's done. There are also countless low-cal dressings you can make, too (another blog post), but I happen to like mine plain.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, click here

BOK CHOY PRESSED SALAD

3 small heads baby bok choy
1/2 large daikon radish, cut in matchsticks or large grated
1 or 2 carrots, cut in matchsticks or large grated
2 ribs celery, sliced thin
1/2 package bean sprouts
1/2 teaspoon of sea salt per 1 cup of vegetables (don't worry the salt gets washed off!)

Put all vegetables, except bean sprouts, into a large bowl and massage the salt into the vegetables. Place a small dish on top of the veggies (to press) and weight with something heavy. As you can see ... I used a jar of seeds and pressed for about 15 minutes until a lot of water was expelled. This helps to break down the fiber and make the vegetables more digestible while still keeping the enzymes intact.

Drain off the liquid, then rinse with a few cups of water so that the excess salt is washed off ... it has done its job! This salad should not taste salty. If so, rinse with more water. Add the bean sprouts (for more crunch) and toss. Serves 10-12.

Enjoy! ~Meg