Cold Eggplant Salad With Sesame Dressing Recipes

COLD STEAMED EGGPLANT WITH SESAME SOY DRESSING

Steps:

• Whisk together the soy sauce, vinegar, lime juice, sugar, sesame or walnut oil, and canola oil. Add the optional ginger and/or garlic. Set aside.
• If you can find Japanese eggplant, cut them in half lengthwise. If using large globe eggplants, cut them lengthwise into quarters. Place in a steamer and steam 10 to 15 minutes, until thoroughly tender. Remove from the heat and cut in 3/4-inch wide slices. Season with salt. Toss gently with the dressing (it's okay if the eggplant falls apart a little) and half the chives while warm, and chill for 1 hour. Toss again and serve on a bed of baby arugula. Sprinkle the remaining chives over the top.

ROASTED EGGPLANT SALAD WITH SOY, SESAME AND CHARRED PEPPERS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Pour the olive oil into a baking sheet and top with a single layer of eggplant slices. Turn to coat both sides with the oil and sprinkle liberally with salt. Place in the center of the oven and roast until completely tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove and arrange in a single layer on a serving platter.
• Place the peppers directly on the burners of a gas range or grill and char on all sides, rotating with a pair of tongs. Remove from the heat and place them in the refrigerator to cool, 10 minutes. Use a paper towel to wipe off the charred skin. Remove the seeds and slice the pepper flesh into thin strips. Arrange over the top of the eggplant.
• Whisk together the soy, ginger, sesame oil, vinegar and garlic in a medium bowl. Taste for seasoning. Sprinkle the vinaigrette over the eggplant and peppers and top with the sesame seeds.

SESAME SALAD DRESSING

Steps:

• In a small bowl, whisk all of the ingredients. Cover and store in the refrigerator.

SPICY EGGPLANT SALAD WITH SESAME OIL

Steps:

• Cook the eggplants in a covered steamer over rapidly boiling water until tender, about 10 minutes. Let cool, then peel. Put the flesh in a fine meshed strainer to drain excess liquid.
• Make the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, vinegar, lime juice, salt and sugar. Add garlic, ginger, sesame oil, vegetable oil and hot pepper oil, if using.
• Put drained eggplants in a bowl. Using 2 forks, shred the eggplants a bit, then pour dressing over and toss, coating well. Leave to rest for 10 minutes, then taste and adjust seasoning.
• Just before serving, stir in chopped cilantro. Pile eggplants on a platter and sprinkle with scallions. Garnish with serrano chile, if using, and cilantro sprigs.

COLD EGGPLANT SALAD WITH SESAME DRESSING

Steps:

• Trim eggplant, and cut into cubes of 1/2 to 1 inch. If using large eggplant, sprinkle with salt, put in a colander, and let sit at least 30 minutes, preferably an hour. Rinse.
• Boil large pot of water. Blanch eggplant in boiling water 2 minutes, no more. It will become just tender. Drain in colander as you would pasta.
• Toast sesame seeds in small dry skillet over medium heat, shaking frequently until they color slightly. Dry eggplant with paper towels. Combine remaining ingredients, and toss with eggplant and sesame seeds in bowl. Serve at room temperature, or refrigerate until ready to serve. Covered well, the salad will remain flavorful for a day.

NOODLE SALAD WITH SESAME DRESSING

Steps:

• Mix all the dressing ingredients together in a large bowl, then stir in the onion. Meanwhile, cook the noodles in a pan of boiling water for 5 mins, adding the sugar snap peas halfway through the cooking time - the noodles and peas should be just tender. Drain, cool under cold running water and drain again. Snip or cut the noodles into smaller lengths to make them more manageable to eat.
• Tip the noodles and peas into the bowl with the dressing, along with the clementines, carrots, coriander and cashews. Toss to combine, then serve in bowls or pack into rigid airtight containers to take to work.

SESAME SNAP PEA-CHICKEN SALAD

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, add the chicken and enough cold water to cover it by 1 inch. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. When the water begins to boil, lower heat immediately to a gentle simmer, cover partially with a lid and cook for 10 minutes. (Monitor that the bubbles never get too big; lower heat if so.) Turn off the heat, cover completely with lid, and leave on the stovetop for another 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, prepare the sugar snap peas: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. When it begins to boil, set a bowl of ice water next to the stovetop. Drop sugar snap peas into boiling water and cook until crisp-tender, 30 to 45 seconds. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the sugar snap peas to the ice water to cool completely. Drain well and pat dry on a clean dish towel in a single layer.
• Transfer sugar snap peas to a cutting board and trim the tips, if needed, then slice lengthwise into thirds on a slight diagonal. Transfer to a large bowl or lidded container, and refrigerate.
• Prepare the dressing: In a mortar and pestle, coarsely grind the sesame seeds, leaving some whole. In a small bowl, combine ground sesame seeds, mayonnaise, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, sugar and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Stir until smooth.
• Set a bowl of ice water next to the stovetop. Transfer the chicken to the ice water to cool completely. When chicken is cool enough to handle, pat dry, then finely shred the meat using your fingers. The shreds should be similar in size to the cut sugar snap peas.
• Add the shredded chicken and all of the dressing to the chilled snap peas; toss gently until coated. Enjoy immediately, or refrigerate for up to 1 day.

COLD NOODLE SALAD WITH SPICY PEANUT SAUCE

Steps:

• Bring a pot of salted water to the boil. Add the soba, stir to prevent sticking, and cook according to package instructions until just tender. Rinse under cold water until the noodles are completely cold.
• Meanwhile, make the sauce: In a medium bowl, combine the peanut butter, soy sauce, maple syrup, lime juice, sesame oil, chile oil or hot sauce, and garlic. Add 1/4 to 1/2 cup water, 1 tablespoon at a time, and whisk until the sauce is a pourable consistency. Taste and add more chile oil or hot sauce as desired; set aside.
• Cut the zucchini or cucumber and radishes into 1/8-inch thick slices, then cut into thin matchsticks. Slice the peppers into 1/8-inch pieces. Place them all in a large bowl.
• Loosen the soba noodles by running them under some water, then allow to drain again. Add them to the vegetables, add the remaining 1 tablespoon sesame oil and toss to combine.
• When you are ready to serve, drizzle with spicy peanut sauce and top with peanuts, scallions and cilantro. Serve immediately, with lime wedges alongside.