In Traditional Chinese Medicine we have a term, "food stagnation," to describe that feeling of fullness, being stuffed, maybe a little nauseous, often belching, after a big meal where we overindulge.  Otherwise known as After Thanksgiving Feast.  
Even at my vegan Thanksgiving, with lots of salads and veggies, I tend to eat way more heavy, rich foods that are special for the occasion.. And of course, pies!  Even though it makes me so happy, this leaves me feeling heavy, bloated, and sluggish.  

In Chinese Medicine, we have excellent herbal formulas to relieve that uncomfortable feeling of food stagnation.  But we can also treat diet with diet - and eat foods that will help move that stagnation along.  Daikon radish works very well to relieve sluggish digestion, and has been used for centuries especially in Japanese cuisine specifically for this reason.  Daikon contains natural digestive enzymes that help break down fatty, rich foods, and its pungent, peppery flavor helps to stimulate the digestive tract (and, it also works as a decongestant!).  

This week I chose to make a Bok Choy and Daikon Salad as a "Post-Thanksgiving Digestive".  The cool, crunchy raw vegetables have a high water and fiber content, and will make you feel light and refreshed as they help to get your digestion back on track.  There are a lot of nutritional benefits to this salad - Bok choy is considered a "superfood" because it contains a high amount of vitamins A and C, as well as beta-carotene and the mineral selenium.  All of the vegetables are high in antioxidants, and the pea spouts are especially packed with nutrition.  The light, sweet dressing pulls all the flavors together and will make you crave this salad after all the heavy holiday meals!
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Bok Choy and Daikon Salad

1/2 large bok choy (4-6 stalks), thinly sliced
1 cup daikon radish, peeled and cut into thin half-circles
1 bunch (5-6oz) tatsoi or mizuna (or both), chopped
1 cup green sprouts, pea shoots are great
3 small seedless clementines, or other small orange, sectioned
2 T sesame seeds or 1/4 cup toasted slivered almonds

Sesame-Ginger Salad Dressing:

1/3 cup olive oil
2 T sesame oil
1/3 cup rice vinegar
1 T agave 
2 T tamari
2 t fresh grated ginger
1 T sesame seeds

Combine the dressing ingredients, shake or mix well, and toss with salad ingredients.

This recipe is taken from Nava Atlas' cookbook, Wild About Greens, and her recipe, "Tatsoi or Mizuna & Bok Choy Salad."  

Do you ever go to the farmer’s market and see vegetables that you’ve never seen before?  Do you wonder about cooking with them?  I do, All The Time.  It’s part of the fun, taking a chance on a new food to experiment with, learn about, and taste.  This week, I encourage you to try something new from the farmer’s market.  Do some research online to find an interesting recipe, figure out how to use it, be Curious about your vegetables, make it Fun!  

I have been curious about Malabar spinach for some time.  At the farmer’s market, it is a heap of thick curvy vine with shiny bright green leaves.  The leaves resemble something like a very hearty-looking spinach.  But Malabar spinach is only distantly related to the spinach we’re all used to.  And the stem is really a long-growing mucilaginous vine, that grows proficiently in the Florida heat.  

According to Dr. Andrew Weil, Malabar spinach is rich in vitamins A and C, iron and calcium.  It is also a good source of soluble fiber.  Malabar spinach contains a decent amount of protein, magnesium, phosphorus and potassium, as well as antioxidants like beta carotene and lutein.  

From my research online, most people recommend cooking Malabar spinach by stir-frying it with oil, garlic and ginger.  I will have to try this.  

For this week’s recipe, I substituted raw Malabar spinach leaves for regular spinach leaves in a simple salad with roasted sweet potatoes and red onions.  I haven’t tried it before, so this will be an experiment for all of us.  And if you live in St. Pete, come down to the Saturday Morning Market 11/3 and we can try it together at the Taste Station!
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