Thai Cabbage Salad

On Mackinac Island we had a delicious Thai salad -- Brian loved it and I liked everything about it except the (I thought) overly vinegary dressing. So I googled to find a Thai peanut sauce that didn't rely on either coconut milk or lots of vinegar. I found a great one on Chow. (It's actually Vietnamese, but let's not quibble.) I used the sauce for dipping tofu, broccoli and cauliflower, and we drizzled some over the sweet potato, too. Yum! I made it just like the recipe stated, but used my regular peanut butter (and so omitted the sugar) and I used more water to make it creamier.

But even though I made only half the recipe, we still had a lot of sauce left over. I decided to thin it with water to salad dressing consistency and use it for the Thai cabbage salad -- the reason I had searched for the recipe in the first place! It was delicious! You could try the dressing on any slaw, but I'll put down what I used, just FYI.

Thai Cabbage Salad

A word on chile-garlic paste: I keep it in the fridge and it seems to last forever. Normally a tiny amount will do because it's so fiery, but I used what they said here and it was not too hot. I think the peanut butter attenuates the heat. (Sometimes I add 1/4-1/2 tsp to a big pot of bean soup and it's really nice.) I've been keeping hoisin sauce in the fridge for a variety of uses, too.

(Here's the slightly adapted half sauce recipe, and I diluted about half of this for the salad dressing. You can see the full recipe at Chow, link above.)

3/8 cup peanut butter

3 Tbs water (and more for thinning to desired consistency)

1-1/2 Tbs hoisin sauce

1 Tbs lime juice

2 tsp sodium reduced soy sauce

1 tsp chili paste with garlic

1 clove garlic, mashed or minced

1 tsp roasted sesame oil

Whisk all of the ingredients together. Before serving, thin to desired consistency for a dipping sauce or a dressing.

Salad

I sliced about half a small head of cabbage (I wanted to use Napa or Savoy cabbage, but they looked pretty bad in the store, so I used a regular head) and about a quarter small head of red cabbage. This is easy if you use the slicing blade of a food processor. I also sliced some snow peas, then grated a zucchini, half a cucumber, and a couple carrots. I added some slivered almonds and chopped cilantro, then tossed it with the dressing. Before serving, I put in some pan-fried tofu cubes.

Easy Quinoa Salad

**Edit** -- Got an email yesterday from Brian saying his lunch was really good, but the salad was particularly tasty. Yes, this salad! Try it!

This salad is as basic as it comes -- quinoa, veggies, simple dressing -- and is open to infinite variation. It's quite tasty! The original version comes from the Savvy Vegetarian site and I've made only a few modifications.

For one thing, I like my veggies cut in finer pieces. I sliced the carrot in fourths lengthwise almost to the top, then cut thin pieces off.

I love the look of snap peas cut on the diagonal. Crisp and crunchy, they add wonderful texture to the salad.

By the way, I omitted the nuts because I tend to have a few for a snack and didn't want to overdo it, but I bet they'd be great in the salad.

Simple Quinoa Salad

1 cup quinoa

1-1/2 cups cold water

1/4 tsp salt

1 to 1-1/2 cups mixed raw or nuked veggies (snow peas, celery, green beans, corn)

2 small carrots, peeled, sliced in thin rounds (or half or quarter rounds)

1/2 red bell pepper, chopped

1/2 medium cucumber, chopped (seed or peel if necessary)

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley, cilantro, or basil (if using basil, add tomatoes to salad)

1/2 cup chopped nuts or seeds (optional)

Dressing

2 Tbs lemon juice

2 Tbs olive oil

1/4 tsp salt

freshly ground pepper

optional: a little other herb or spice (garlic, cumin, ginger, thyme, etc.)

1.     Prepare quinoa by rinsing thoroughly in cold water, draining well, then bringing to a boil with the cold water and salt. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 15 min. Cool to at least lukewarm.

2.     Combine quinoa with veggies and optional nuts or seeds in a large bowl.

3.     Whisk dressing ingredients together and pour over salad. Mix well. Enjoy!

Asian Slaw

This recipe is a work in progress, but we both really liked it as is, too. I just think it could be even better -- have a little more oomph, perhaps? Please give suggestions! I wanted to make a slaw that did not have a mayo-based dressing, and I found this highly rated recipe for Asian Style Slaw. But I had a head of cabbage, not bags of mix, and of course I always tinker.

First I shredded the cabbage in the food processor. I learned NOT to use the shredder blade, but to use the slicing blade, or you just get mush. You can see the tiny bits of cabbage on the side in the photo below from my failed shredding attempt. And I shredded -- this time shredding was ok -- some yellow squash and carrots, too.

Somehow I neglected to take a photo of the finished salad, so I'll add that when I make it again. Here's what I ended up doing:

Asian Slaw

1/2 medium head green cabbage, shredded (thinly sliced in food processor)
1 small red onion, thinly sliced (I forgot this, but will try it next time)
1 medium yellow squash, shredded
2 medium carrots, peeled and shredded
2 Tbs reduced sodium soy sauce
2 Tbs lemon juice
2 Tbs vegetable oil
2 Tbs grated fresh ginger*
1 Tbs rice vinegar
1 Tbs brown sugar
1 Tbs roasted sesame oil
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/3 cup slivered almonds (for nutrition and crunch)
chopped cilantro (I meant to add this, but forgot)

Prepare the vegetables and place in a large bowl. Combine the dressing ingredients (soy sauce through pepper) and pour over the vegetables. Toss well to mix. Add the almonds and cilantro; mix again.

* I coarsely chopped a chunk of ginger and then dropped the pieces into the food processor with the mixing blade running to get fine pieces. This recipe is easy with a food processor -- it uses 3 different blades, but you only have to wash the bowl once!

Moroccan Carrot Salad

What's missing from this photo?

The cilantro of course. That's why it looks sad and lonely and so very, very orange. I don't know why, but I have unintentionally omitted the cilantro from a couple salads recently.

But with or without cilantro, the taste is awesome. It's easy to make and can be made in advance. It's great for a Middle Eastern meal, but adds a nice zing to other meals, too. We had it next to a rice-zucchini-egg dish and it was a perfect complement.

Without further ado...

Moroccan Carrot Salad

1 lb. carrots, peeled, halved lengthwise, then cut crosswise into 1/3”-wide pieces

     (I sliced them into coins using the food processor)

1/2 cup water

2 large cloves garlic, chopped

1/4 tsp. coriander seeds

1/4 tsp. dried crushed red pepper

1-1/2 tsp. ground cumin (I prefer 3/4 to 1 tsp. only)

2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice

1 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil

1/3 cup very finely chopped red onion

1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

4 Kalamata olives, pitted, chopped (I omit because B doesn't like them)

1. Combine carrots, water, garlic, coriander seeds, and crushed red pepper in heavy medium saucepan. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium; cover and cook until carrots are crisp-tender, about 7 minutes. Uncover; cook until water evaporates, about 1 minute. Transfer carrot mixture to medium bowl; cool slightly.

            2. Meanwhile, heat cumin in small bowl in microwave until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in lemon juice and oil. Pour over carrot mixture; toss to blend. Stir in red onions and mix again. Cool completely.

            3. Before serving, mix cilantro into carrot mixture. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Sprinkle olives over salad and serve. If chilled, bring to room temperature before serving.

(Bon Appetit, June 1998 -- slightly adapted)

Could it be a Greek salad?

Pizza and chicken salad -- not exactly my idea of dinner!  But that's what they were serving at a meeting I was going to. I took that as an invitation to bring a vegetable salad to share. What was on hand?

Always, always, a can of chickpeas.
In the fridge I found green beans from the farmer's market.

There were also pitted olives from the deli at the grocery store -- lovely red pepper flakes in the green ones -- and cauliflower florets, chopped red bell pepper, grape tomatoes and baby carrots. And feta cheese! (Turns out that crumbling only l-1/2 oz feta into the salad that filled my 10-cup salad bowl was enough to transform the dish.) The idea of feta sent me off to find a recipe for Greek salad dressing. "Absolutely Fabulous Greek/House Dressing" sounded pretty good, but of course I made some changes. Here's how everything ended up:

Whatever's on Hand Greek Salad

Salad
   lightly steamed or nuked, or raw veggies* (as appropriate), chopped into bite sized pieces
         *I used green beans, red bell pepper, carrots, grape tomatoes, and cauliflower
   good olives, pitted and sliced into halves or thirds
   a little feta cheese, crumbled
   1 can (15 oz) chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained

Dressing (I used less than half of this recipe for a salad that served 14 people)
   3/4 cup olive oil
   1 Tbs salt-free Greek seasoning (from the Spice House in Old Town Chicago)
   1/2 tsp black pepper
   1/2 tsp salt
   1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
   1/4 cup red wine vinegar
   1/4 cup lemon juice

Combine the salad ingredients. Mix the dressing ingredients and pour as much as seems necessary onto the salad. Toss and refrigerate. I made the dressing with only 1/2 cup oil and thought it was way too acidic, so I added more oil. It still seemed acidic, but after the salad sat in the refrigerator for a couple hours, everything seemed to mellow. It was a terrific salad and I was surprised at how quickly it disappeared at the meeting!

 
 

All Week Pasta Salad

Younger daughter here with my first post! I haven't been carrying my weight in the salad-making department, but today I made an extremely weighty salad, hoping to make up for some lost time: this veggie-laden pasta salad, so big I had to stir it in my largest pot because it didn't fit in any mixing bowls. (The photo here shows the salad after a few portions were put in lunch containers.)

The weather here on the east coast is hot and muggy, making it perfect salad weather, so I figured I'd make an enormous salad for my roommate and me (and a few friends) to eat for dinner tonight--and to eat for lunch all week. It's just a pound of pasta and whatever veggies caught my eye, and I plan to add things throughout the week to change it up: soy chicken or tofu, more beans, other veggies. It can also work with any dressing, though I've made a big bottle of Rolf's Mother's Chinese Dressing to use, now that my mom's post reminded me how much I like it!

Here's a list of what's in this iteration of the salad, though it's good with whatever vegetables are fresh and on hand:

• a pound of whole wheat elbow macaroni
• a pound of fresh broccoli, cut into small florets and tossed in with the pasta when it was almost done cooking
• ten ounces of frozen peas, tossed in with the pasta and broccoli
• a bag of carrots, peeled and shredded
• two large zucchini, shredded
• two cans of kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• a bunch of radishes, sliced thin
• eight ribs of celery, chopped