Creamy Peanut Salmon & Bok Choy Pasta

I know what some of you moms and dads might be thinking….”My kid wont eat bok choy. Bok choy is green, and my kids don’t eat green food.” But hear me out, when it comes to introducing a “new” vegetable to young kids it helps to pair that vegetable with something familiar. My kids never turn down a pasta dinner and they both happen to LOVE salmon so I figured this would be a great way to introduce bok choy to them. We’re growing bok choy at our farm and my kids need to start getting used to seeing it more often as we’ll be preparing it all spring.

Here is what happened when we served these bowls. My two-year old picked all the bok choy leaves out of her pasta and never tried it. My five-year-old tried it and decided she only liked it if it was cut even smaller. So I call this a win!! Everyone ate the same dinner. Some people picked out their veggies and others needed it cut differently. Let me know how it goes at your household!

I hope you and your young kiddos give this recipe a try. My husband and I loved this dish and I’m excited to add more things to it as the season goes on. Shredded carrots, peas and some avocado would be great!

Happy cooking

Creamy Peanut Salmon & Bok Choy Pasta

PREP TIME: 20 MINUTES    COOK TIME: 25 MINUTES    SERVES: 6

Creamy Peanut Sauce

• 1/2 cup peanut butter

• 1/4 cup coconut aminos (can sub low sodium-soy sauce)

• 2 teaspoons maple syrup

• 3 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar

• 1 Tablespoon sesame oil

• 1 teaspoon fish sauce

• 2 teaspoons finely grated fresh ginger (+ more to taste)

• 1 large clove of garlic, minced

• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (if your child is super sensitive to heat add only a tiny pinch to start)

• water to thin as necessary

Pasta

• 1 large salmon fillet

• 2 Tablespoons olive oil, divided

• 2 cloves of garlic or green garlic, minced

• 1 small head bok choy, leaves very thinly sliced and stems diced

• 12 ounces pasta of choice (we like using chickpea pasta noodles for added protein and fiber)

• Crushed peanuts for garnish

  Preparation

  1. Prepare the sauce by adding all the ingredients to a small blender, food processor or use an immersion blender and process until smooth. Add a few tablespoons of water to thin as needed. Taste for seasonings and adjust.

  2. Preheat the oven to 350F. Drizzle the salmon with 1 tablespoon olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake until cooked through, about 15-18 minutes. When cool enough to hanlde, flake the salmon into small pieces.

  3. Heat the remaining olive oil in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring frequently for about 2 minutes. Add the bok choy stem and cook for 1 minute longer. Add the leaves and cook until just wilted and bright green. About 2 minutes. Remove from the heat.

  4. Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain and then return the pasta to the pot. Add the bok choy and garlic, salmon and drizzle with the sauce. Toss well.