Chinese Edamame Salad

A couple weeks ago, by complete coincidence, I ended up sitting next to my friend on the Northeast Regional Amtrak train toward New York.  Small world!  We had a good conversation with plenty of time to talk about work, life, and food.  She promised to pass along her go-to recipe for Chinese chicken salad (originally made by her aunt) so that I could veganize it.  Well, she did, and I did; so, here we are.

Recipe:     
Chinese Edamame Salad

Dressing

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  

Salad

• 2 heads romaine lettuce, chopped
• 1 package frozen edamame, prepared according to package instructions
• 1/4 cup sesame seeds, toasted
• 1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted
• 1/2 cup chopped green onions
• Crispy wonton skins or crispy chow mein noodles for garnish
• Mandarin oranges, optional, for garnish

First, prepare the salad dressing by whisking together all of the dressing ingredients in a small bowl.  Set aside.

Next, prepare the salad.  Toss together the prepared salad ingredients in a large bowl using salad tongs.

Top individual portions with dressing and serve.

Comments:
Taste:         

This salad was good but not great.The dressing was flavorful--I'm a big fan of rice vinegar--and the different components added varying types of crunch.  Unfortunately, the dressing was a little too salty.  I'll plan to leave the salt out of the dressing next time.  

 Accessibility:      

I couldn't find wonton skins at our usual grocery store, so we bought crispy chow mein noodles instead.  Several ingredients in this salad are on the expensive side; however, we were happy to find larger, less expensive quantities of pre-toasted(!) sesame seeds in the international aisle, as opposed to the more expensive, smaller quantities in the spice aisle. 

 Ease of Preparation:        

Once the salad components are chopped/steamed/toasted, this recipe is as simple as it gets.

Non-vegan friendliness:        

This salad was tasty, but it wasn't quite satisfying as an entrée.  Next time, I'll serve this as a starter course paired with something light yet more substantial for the main dish.

Peanut Noodle Salad

I've made enough noodle dishes to realize that no one peanut sauce-covered noodle recipe is quite like another.  This recipe for Peanut Noodle Salad is different from more classic Noodles with Spicy Peanut Sauce in a few ways:

1. It's more of a side dish or salad than a stand-alone main dish.
2. It can be served cold.
3. It contains raw ingredients.

We served this noodle salad alongside Asian Cabbage Slaw and crispy spring rolls for a quite satisfying meal.

Peanut noodle salad garnished with crushed peanuts.

Note: this dish is best consumed on the same day you make it.  Enjoy it while it's fresh!

Recipe:     
Peanut Noodle Salad

• 1 box whole wheat linguine or spaghetti, prepared according to package instructions (see note below)
• 1 - 12 ounce package pre-shelled frozen edamame, prepared according to package instructions
• 3 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
• 3/4 cup natural peanut butter
• 6 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons white vinegar
• 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
• 1 tablespoon hot sauce (I prefer Frank's)
• 1 cucumber, seeded and sliced
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into thin, bite sized strips
• 1/3 cup chopped cilantro
• peanuts, crushed, for garnish

First, prepare the pasta and edamame according to package instructions--but reserve 3/4 cup of the pasta cooking water before draining.  Once they're cooked, rinse both the pasta and edamame with cold water and drain before combining in a large bowl.  Add the sesame oil and toss until coated.  Set aside. 

Next, create the sauce.  Whisk together the peanut butter, soy sauce, vinegar, ginger, hot sauce, and 6 tablespoons pasta cooking water in a medium bowl until smooth.

Finally, add the sauce and the cucumber, pepper, and cilantro to the noodle bowl.  Toss all ingredients together, top with crushed peanuts, and serve. 

Yields 8 small portions. 

Comments:

Taste:          

I really enjoyed the freshness that the cucumbers bring to this dish.  I also like that the peanut sauce isn't overpowering or too heavy.  This is definitely a nice summer dish.

Accessibility:   

Frozen edamame should be easy to find.  If you don't have natural peanut butter, you can always use regular peanut butter.

 Ease of Preparation:       

This recipe is nice and quick.  You can prepare the sauce and chop the veggies while the first two ingredients are cooking. 

Non-vegan friendliness:      

Everyone should enjoy this veggie- and protein-packed side dish. 

Veggie Fried Rice with Tofu

Tonight Rachel and I made a delicious and nutritious dinner of Veggie Fried Rice with Tofu.  While I hate to give away my thoughts on this recipe before the comments section below, I must say that this was one of my favorite dinners in recent memory.  Yum!     

Sticky fried rice and lightly browned tofu -- delicious!

Recipe:
Veggie Fried Rice with Tofu

• 2 tablespoons + 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 - 1 pound block extra-firm tofu, pressed and cut into small cubes
• 2 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced
• 2 large cloves garlic, minced
• 1 bunch green onions, sliced finely (use both the white and green parts--just cut off the end)
• 15 ounces frozen corn (let it thaw while you prepare everything) 
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 cup shelled, cooked edamame
• 5 cups cooked white rice
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds

Before you begin, make sure to prepare the rice and edamame ahead of time.  You can prepare these well in advance and refrigerate until ready to use, or prepare just before you start cooking and cover to keep warm. 

Then, brown the tofu.  Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a very large nonstick skillet or wok over high heat.  Carefully add the tofu to the hot oil and cook until browned on most sides.  Remove the tofu from the pan and set aside.

Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil to the pan and add the ginger, garlic, and scallions (save some scallions for garnish).  Cook until fragrant but not browned, about 30 seconds.  Then add the corn, bell pepper, and edamame and cook until the peppers become slightly tender, about 4 minutes.  Add the cooked rice, soy sauce, and sesame oil and stir well to combine.  Cook until heated through, or an additional 1-2 minutes.  Remove from heat.  Add the sesame seeds and stir to combine.

Top the rice with tofu, garnish with extra green onions, and serve hot.  Yields about 5 servings.  

Comments:

Taste:     

I loved this fried rice.  It's colorful, fragrant, full of protein, and really tasty.  The rice is a little sticky and holds everything together well.  Rachel liked "the interplay between the density of the rice and the airiness of the tofu."  I'm definitely looking forward to eating leftovers!

Accessibility:         

We were able to find all of these ingredients at our regular grocery store, but there certainly are a lot of them.  Also, as I mentioned last night, sesame oil isn't cheap, and neither are sesame seeds.  

Ease of Preparation:   

This dish is made up of numerous components that require separate attention before they come together.  Between the rice, the tofu, the edamame, and all of the chopping, a fair amount of work goes into this recipe.  Make sure you allot time to make the rice and prepare the edamame (including popping the beans out of the pods) -- or do these things in advance.      

Non-vegan friendliness:   

While we were cooking, Rachel commented on how much more appetizing and appealing the browned tofu in this recipe is than the tofu we had in our college dining hall.  Did you hear that, tofu skeptics?  Tofu can be good.