Recipe: Baby Spinach and Tofu Salad with Sesame-Soy Dressing

This recipe is so healthy it makes me want to reach out for those bag of chips! While I am not exactly one to go on big mamak sessions or to binge on a tub of ice cream, I have a weakness for savoury snacks, namely, in order of preference, i) English-style fries (preferably eaten out of a newspaper package in Trafalgar Square before hopping onto the Night Rider...ah such fond memories!), ii) nuts (cashews, peanuts, macadamia, you name it) and iii) murukku. Unfortunately, my body is no longer willing to cooperate with me, and has decided, upon reaching its third decade, that it will punish me if I do not cease my evil ways. So as part of celebrating the summer, I've decided that it's high time that I start getting back into shape. It's started with swimming, and trying (note the operative word being trying) to eat better. The first few times I hit the pool, I felt like my lungs were going to cave in on me. I moaned and groaned and whimpered. Thankfully, things have gotten somewhat better with the exercising. I've been feeling a little off colour this week (and to illustrate, notice the cucumbers in the picture and the discolouration? Well, yours truly accidentally put them in the freezer when I was putting away the groceries). I decided to put together this salad which was inspired by a meal I had at an organic restaurant in KL. I cut down on the number of vegetables in the salad, instead relying on a few, but well-paired ingredients. I wanted to add sprouted moong sprouts (for a picture, see here) to the dish but was unable to find them here in Singapore, however, the nutty endamame worked just as well in adding texture. 

The hardest thing about exercising is....well, starting.
Source: Wiley by Thomas Vaclavek from Woodstock, USA (Wikimedia Commons)

Serves 2 (Simply double up if required)

Ingredients:

Dressing:

4 tbsp white sesame seeds

1 tbsp castor sugar
1 tbsp mirin
1 tbsp soy sauce

1/2 tbsp rice wine vinegar

1 tsp Japanese sesame paste (substitute tahini)

1 tsp grated ginger

2 tsp sesame oil

Dash pepper

In a skillet toast sesame seeds over low fire until nutty and golden brown. Grind sesame seeds in a mortar and pestle, and combine with sugar, sake, soy sauce, sesame paste, ginger, sesame oil and pepper. Mix until well incorporated.

Salad:

4 cups loosely packed baby spinach, stems trimmed if necessary
1 Japanese cucumber, sliced thinly
8-10 small cherry tomatoes
Large handful of frozen endamame pods
1/2 block of Japanese Yaki-style or other soft, smooth fresh tofu
1 large spring onion, sliced thinly
1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds to garnish

Drain tofu well and wrap in several layers of tea towels on a chopping board for about half an hour to drain excess liquid. Fill a medium saucepan with water and add a pinch of salt. Blanch frozen endamame pods for about a minute and then drain under running cool water to stop the cooking process. (Alternatively, microwave beans, with about 1 tbsp of water on high for one minute) When cool enough to handle, remove beans from the pods and set aside. In a large bowl, toss spinach with about 2-3 tbsp of the dressing, and divide among serving bowls. Top each bowl with sliced cucumber, cherry tomatoes, endamame and tofu. Scatter spring onion and sesame seeds and drizzle additional dressing if desired.

Recipe: Seared Tuna Salad with Asian Dressing

It's been a while since I posted a recipe for a salad. This dish is the perfect supper - light, packed with loads of nutrition, and a nice balance of flavours.  In this dish I paired baby spinach leaves with rocket, mizuna and other mesclun greens, but feel free to mix it up according to your taste.The key to the success of this dish is the quality of the fish, so only attempt to make it if you can get a decent piece of tuna, preferably sustainably sourced.

Serves 4

Ingredients:
Dressing:
1 tsp sesame seeds
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1-2 tbsps. of best quality soy sauce such as Kikkoman
1 tbsp lime juice
1 teaspoon grated young ginger
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 teaspoon Chinese mustard
1 tablespoon chopped coriander (leaves only)
3 tbsp olive or canola oil
2-3 drops of dark sesame oil
Pepper, sugar and salt

In a dry skillet over low heat, toast sesame seeds until lightly brown. Remove from heat and cool. Add dressing ingredients and whisk until emulsified. Add a dash of pepper, a pinch or two of sugar and salt, to taste.

Salad:

4 tuna steaks, about 1 inch thick
Sea salt and pepper
2 tablespoons dark sesame oil
1/3 cup sesame seeds
4 cups loosely packed mixed salad leaves (baby spinach and rocket recommended)
2 handfuls of cherry tomatoes
1 bunch spring onions, chopped
1 seedless navel orange, peeled, pith removed and cut into sections
1/2 cup fried crispy yee mein noodles
1/4 cup smoked almonds

Place tuna on clean chopping board. Lightly season with salt and pepper. Drizzle sesame oil lightly over tuna steaks. Place sesame seeds on a plate. Coat tuna with sesame seeds.

Heat a dry skillet over high heat. Sear tuna for about a minute or so on each side for rare, or 2-3 minutes for medium done. Remove from heat and let rest on chopping board while you prep the salad.

Toss salad leaves, cherry tomatoes and spring onions in large bowl with about 3-4 tbsps of the dressing. Divide salad among four plates. Slice tuna thinly and place on top of salad. Top with noodles, almonds and orange sections. Serve immediately.

Recipe: Warm rocket and baby spinach salad with seared scallops and bacon

The great thing about salads is that they are one of the most versatile meals to prepare. The chef is at liberty to mix and match the components that go into the salad according to the preferences of his/her guests. I had the pleasure of the company of one of my best friends in Singapore, G, yesterday. G shares my love for Italian food, dogs and movies. She also has some of the cutest expressions to describe everyday phenomena among anyone I know.

Let me illustrate. We were shopping for dinnerware for last year's Christmas party. She asked why we couldn't use the existing ones that I have which are quite frankly rather shabby.

Me: It's important that they all match.

G: Yeah, so they have to be a bit atas-lah.

Me: I guess the ones I have are a bit bawah.

"Atas" being the Malay world for Up or upper, as opposed to "bawah" or down.

Anyways, G was a little under the weather so I decided a simple meal of soup and salad was probably best.

This salad is an adaptation of a Jamie Oliver original. The combination of the sweetness from the slightly charred red onions, the bitterness from the rocket, the saltiness from the bacon and the tartness from the balsamic vinegar makes this not just tasty, but visually appealing. Key to the success of this dish is speed and concentration. I do not recommend making this dish while you are multi tasking. The wild mushroom soup I had on the other burner suffered neglect, for example, as I let too much of the liquid evaporate and it ended up a bit salty by the time I got to it. So give this dish your all, and you will be rewarded with what is, in my opinion, quite a classy, atas dish.

Serves 2-3 as a starter

Ingredients:

1 pack of wild rocket leaves

1 pack of baby spinach leaves

3 medium sized red onions, cut into wedges

4 nos. sundried tomatoes in oil, sliced thinly

A handful of pinenuts

2-3 sticks of thyme

2 pieces of streaky bacon

4-5 scallops per person, drained and patted dry with paper towels

Extra virgin olive oil

The best quality balsamic vinegar you have

Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper

A few sprinkles of Parmesan (optional)

Method:

Heat a non-stick skillet on medium-high with about two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. In the meantime, season your scallops with seasoning of your choice (for example, cajun seasoning, lemon and pepper, etc. I used Montreal steak seasoning). Place your salad leaves in a large bowl. When hot, add bacon to the pan and cook until crisp. Remove and drain on paper towels. Crumble into pieces. Add to the pan the scallops and shake them around. Cook until they turn opaque, dish up and keep warm. (Don't overcook - you want your scallops succulent and just done) Now throw in your thyme sprigs, and red onions and season with sea salt and black pepper. (Remember that your bacon and scallops are already salted, so don't be too liberal). After about three-five minutes add in your pine nuts, stir around. Working quickly, tip the onions, thyme and pine nuts into the salad bowl. Add your sun dried tomatoes. Drizzle some balsamic vinegar and additional extra virgin olive oil if necessary. Toss around to wilt a little and season to taste.

Presentation - Divide salad among plates, garnish with bacon bits and a sprinkling of Pamersan and top with scallops. Serve immediately.