cambodian-style rice noodle salad with shrimp, cucumber and herbs

We skipped the shrimp and served this as a side to Vietnamese grilled lemon grass pork.

ingredients

• 8 ounces rice vermicelli noodles
• 1 english cucumber, halved lengthwise, seeded and thinly sliced into half moons
• 1 medium shallots, halved and thinly sliced
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 cup roasted peanuts (finely chopped) *
• 6 TBSP lime juice
• 1 fresno or thai serrano chili, stemmed, seeded and minced **
• 3 TBSP fish sauce
• 2 TBSP packed brown sugar
• 2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 lb cooked shrimp (roughly chopped)
• 1 1/2 cups chopped fresh cilantro, mint and/or basil

* Cashews will do in a pinch, as it did for us. We only had the lightly salted ones but it worked just fine.

** Didn’t have chilies on hand and wanted the kids to eat it, so we substituted with a small pinch of cayenne

preparation

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add noodles and cook until tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain in a colander, then rinse under cold running water, tossing until fully cooled. Drain again. Use kitchen shears to snip the noddles in several places to cut them into shorter lengths. Transfer to a large bowl; set aside.
2. In the colander, toss cucumber and shallot with the salt. Let drain in the sink for about 5 minutes.
3. In a small bowl, stir together peanuts, lime juice, chili, fish sauce, brown sugar and pepper.
4. Add the cucumber-shallot mixture, the shrimp, and the chopped herbs to the bowl with the noodles. Add the dressing and toss well.

nutritional information

n/a

yield: 4 servings

time: 20 minutes

source: Milk Street, July-August 2020, p.4

fresh zucchini salad

ingredients

1/4 cup mirin (sweet sake)
1/4 cup thin soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
4 small to medium fìrm zucchini, sliced into paper-thin rounds
2 scallions, trimmed and cut into thin diagonal slices (white and green parts)
Red pepper flakes to taste (optional)

preparation

This delicate and refreshing salad is perfect as an accompaniment to any miso- or soy sauce-marinated meat. The zucchini is raw and sliced paper-thin, making for a vegetable side dish that is both crunchy and tender in the same bite. The zucchini will give up some of its natural juices while curing. Those who like a bit of a hot note can sprinkle a small amount of red pepper flakes on the salad for
both color and flavor contrast.

In a salad bowl , whisk together the mirin, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and black pepper. Toss the zucchini and half of the scallions with the dressing and let stand for 30 minutes. Drain. Transfer to a serving bowl, and garnish with the remaining scallions and red pepper flakes, if using.

nutritional information: not available

 

yield: 6-8 servings (serving size: 1 small bowl)

time: 40 min

source: The Asian Grill, p. 78

roasted pumpkin seeds

ingredients

1 1/2 cups pumpkin seeds
2 teaspoons melted butter (olive oil or vegetable oil work well) or 2 teaspoons melted oil ( olive oil or vegetable oil work well)
salt
garlic powder (optional)
cayenne pepper (optional)
seasoning salt (optional)
cajun seasoning (optional)

preparation

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

2. While it’s OK to leave some strings and pulp on your seeds (it adds flavor) clean off any major chunks.

3. Toss pumpkin seeds in a bowl with the melted butter or oil and seasonings of your choice.

4. Spread pumpkin seeds in a single layer on baking sheet.

5. Bake for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden brown.

nutritional information

Calories: 58(46 from fat); Fat: 5.1g (sat 1.1, mono N/A, poly N/A); Protein: 3g; Cholesterol: 1mg; Calcium: N/A; Sodium: 4mg; Fiber: 1g; Iron: N/A; Carbohydrates: 1.4g

yield: 20 servings (serving size: about 10g)

time: 1 hour

source:

taco salad

ingredients

1 pound extra-lean ground sirloin
1 cup diced onions, frozen or fresh
1 cup red, yellow, and/or orange bell pepper strips, frozen or fresh
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
dash cayenne pepper, to taste
4 cups lettuce
1 cup grated carrots
3 tomatoes, cut into chunks
1 cucumber, diced
1 1/2 cups sweet corn
4 ounces shredded Monterey Jack cheese

preparation

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef, onions, and peppers, cook 3 minutes, and turn down the heat to medium. Stir occasionally while continuing to cook until the meat is completely browned. Turn down the heat again to medium-low and add the seasonings.

Plate the lettuce, and top with carrots, tomatoes, cucumber, and sweet corn. Place the taco meat and then the cheese on top.

nutritional information: not available

 

yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 bowl)

time: 15 min

source: DASH Weight Loss Solution, p. 189

quinoa, corn, and tomato salad with chive-infused olive oil

ingredients

1 1/2 cups water (or broth)
1 cup uncooked quinoa
1 cup fresh corn kernels (about 2 ears) or frozen corn (we use Trader Joe’s frozen roasted corn)
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons Chive-Infused Oil (recipe below) 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 garlic clove, minced

preparation

Combine 1 1/2 cups water and quinoa in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat; let stand 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

Combine quinoa, corn, tomatoes, and parsley in a medium bowl. Combine Chive-Infused Oil and remaining ingredients, stirring with a whisk. Drizzle over salad; toss well to coat. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

nutritional information

Calories: 179(34% from fat); Fat: 6.7g (sat 0.7g,mono 4.1g,poly 1.3g); Protein: 5.2g; Cholesterol: 0.0mg; Calcium: 20mg; Sodium: 145mg; Fiber: 2.4g; Iron: 2.2mg; Carbohydrates: 26.1g

yield: 6 servings (serving size = 2/3 cup)

time: not available

source: Lia Huber, Cooking Light, AUGUST 2007