Asian Warm Vegetable Salad with Ponzu-Sesame Dressing
We always think of salads as a western concept, but salads can be an Asian thing, too. Like this warm vegetable salad redolent with garlic, soy, and sesame flavours, it's distinctively Chinese in style with the sauteed vegetables. There's the warm and soft, contrasted against the cold crisp of the mesclun greens.
Ingredients (feeds 2 as a main, 4 as a side):
1 package of 150gm mesclun leaves, washed and spun dry
600gm mushrooms, sliced (I used a mix of white buttons, Swiss browns and portobellos)
2 cups carrots, julienned
1 large zucchini, diced
1 head garlic, minced
3 tbsp canola oil
3 tbsp sesame oil
3 tbsp light soy
2 tbsp oyster sauce
2 tbsp sake
fried garlic to garnish
Dressing:
5 tbsp ponzu sauce
3 tbsp toasted sesame oil
1 tsp wholegrain mustard
Directions:
1) Fry 1 tbsp minced garlic in 1 tbsp canola oil and 1 tbsp sesame oil on medium heat until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
2) Turn heat up to medium-high and toss in mushrooms with 1 tbsp light soy, 1 tbsp oyster sauce. Fry until water released from mushrooms is almost all evaporated. Remove from heat and set aside.
3) Fry 1 tbsp minced garlic in 1 tbsp canola oil and 1 tbsp sesame oil on medium heat until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
4) Turn heat up to medium-high and toss in carrots with 1 tbsp light soy, and 2 tbsp sake. Fry until carrots are slightly softened, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and set aside.
5) Fry 1 tbsp minced garlic in 1 tbsp canola oil and 1 tbsp sesame oil on medium heat until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
6) Turn heat up to medium-high and toss in zucchini.
7) Add 1 tbsp light soy, 1 tbsp oyster sauce and fry until zucchini is just softened, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
8) Assembly time: set out mesclun base, dot with fried mushrooms, carrots and zucchini. Drizzle with dressing, and sprinkle generously with fried garlic bits.
Ingredients (feeds 2 as a main, 4 as a side):
1 package of 150gm mesclun leaves, washed and spun dry
600gm mushrooms, sliced (I used a mix of white buttons, Swiss browns and portobellos)
2 cups carrots, julienned
1 large zucchini, diced
1 head garlic, minced
3 tbsp canola oil
3 tbsp sesame oil
3 tbsp light soy
2 tbsp oyster sauce
2 tbsp sake
fried garlic to garnish
Dressing:
5 tbsp ponzu sauce
3 tbsp toasted sesame oil
1 tsp wholegrain mustard
Directions:
1) Fry 1 tbsp minced garlic in 1 tbsp canola oil and 1 tbsp sesame oil on medium heat until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
2) Turn heat up to medium-high and toss in mushrooms with 1 tbsp light soy, 1 tbsp oyster sauce. Fry until water released from mushrooms is almost all evaporated. Remove from heat and set aside.
3) Fry 1 tbsp minced garlic in 1 tbsp canola oil and 1 tbsp sesame oil on medium heat until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
4) Turn heat up to medium-high and toss in carrots with 1 tbsp light soy, and 2 tbsp sake. Fry until carrots are slightly softened, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and set aside.
5) Fry 1 tbsp minced garlic in 1 tbsp canola oil and 1 tbsp sesame oil on medium heat until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
6) Turn heat up to medium-high and toss in zucchini.
7) Add 1 tbsp light soy, 1 tbsp oyster sauce and fry until zucchini is just softened, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
8) Assembly time: set out mesclun base, dot with fried mushrooms, carrots and zucchini. Drizzle with dressing, and sprinkle generously with fried garlic bits.
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