Asian Persuasion
Dear snackers and friends, I am so sorry for the week of radio silence. I just started working part-time at Ravinia Festival (waitressing at Mirabelle, come say hi!) and therefore my life is once again, not my own. Cue PTSD flashback to Tamales. Luckily, this will all be over and done with in just a few short weeks.
I have to be at work between 2:30 and 3:30 almost every day so lunch is turning into something of a struggle for me. I don't have the time to make a leisurely meal and I also don't have the luxury of just eating a light snack and coming back for more later. No, I need fuel and I need lots of it. And I need to make it fast.
Enter the Asian slaw salad. It's full of raw veggies to keep you full of fiber, sliced almonds for a hint of protein and drizzled with a spicy peanut dressing. In short, it's everything I need to power me through the next shift of stingy tippers.
It comes together exceptionally quickly if you have all the ingredients on hand and you'll want to make gallons of the dressing -- it's that good. I'll probably eat it again today with some grilled chicken on top.
It keeps well in the fridge as long as you don't dress it and looks damn pretty on a plate. So what are you waiting for? Go forth and crunch.
PS -- the recipe calls for mirin in the dressing, a type of sake. If you don't have it, you can substitute rice wine vinegar. If you don't have either of those, buy the mirin. It's a great all-purpose Asian seasoning.
Additionally, many thanks to my best friend's mom, Miyun, for giving me this recipe. And for feeding me whenever I come over to your house.
Ingredients:
1 bag tri-color coleslaw mix
1 bag broccoli slaw
8 oz. snow peas, thinly sliced
3 scallions, ends trimmed, thinly sliced
1 1/3 c. slivered almonds
Wonton strips for garnish (if desired)
For the dressing:
1/4 c. peanut sauce
1/8 c. sesame oil
1/8 c. mirin
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. ground garlic
1 tsp. brown mustard
1 tsp. sugar
Sriracha to taste
Directions:
1. In a large, dry saucepan, toast the almonds over medium-low heat until golden brown and fragrant. Remove from heat and set aside.
2. Combine all the vegetables in a large bowl and toss to combine. Add cooled almonds.
3. In a large glass jar or a tupperware with a tight seal, combine all the salad dressing ingredients. Shake vigorously to combine. Drizzle over the salad. Serve immediately.
