Spinach Sesame Salad

5-minute Japanese style salad.  Healthy and very tasty.

INGREDIENTS 

2 bunches of spinach

1 tsp salt

water

Salad dressing:

2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

4 tbsp mirin 

1 tbsp rice vinegar 

1 tbsp sugar

4 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp sesame oil

PREPARATION

  

Wash the spinach -DO NOT CUT ANYTHING YET!

Add 1 tsp salt to boiling water.  Cook the spinach for 2 minutes.

Prepare salad dressing (while cooking the spinach): 

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl.  Reserve.

Turn off heat and strain spinach.  Rinse with cold water.

Squeeze gently with your hands, not too much.

Cut off the stem ends (1/2 inch).

Form a "ball" with the spinach and cut in 2-inch-long pieces.

Add salad dressing.  Mix well.

Enjoy!

VARIATION: Add tofu cubes to this salad... it's delicious!

Szechuan Spicy Eggplant

INGREDIENTS (for 2-3)

6 Japanese eggplants*

2 green onions

1/2 cup vegetable stock

3 tbsp vegetable oil

Spicy Szechuan Sauce:

- 4 garlic cloves

- 1 red Thai chili pepper**

- 2 tbsp shredded fresh ginger

- 4 tbsp soy sauce

- 1 tbsp black bean sauce

- 1 tbsp rice vinegar

- 2 tbsp mirin (or any rice wine)

- 2 tbsp sugar

- 2 tbsp sesame oil

- 1 tsp Szechuan pepper (if yo have it)

*Yes, you need these ones. Sorry, it's not going to work with the regular/Mediterranean type.

**If you don't have fresh Thai chillies, you can use chili paste instead (about 1 tbsp).

PREPARATION

Spicy Szechuan Sauce:

Peel garlic cloves and place them in a mortar. Add chili (or chili paste) and ginger. Grind and reserve.

Place all the other sauce ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Add the chili/garlic/ginger paste and mix.

Reserve.

Cooking the eggplant:

Wash the eggplants and cut off stems. Cut them into long strips (finger size). Reserve.

Wash the green onions and cut them into thin slices. Reserve.

Place a skillet over medium heat and add 3 tbsp vegetable oil.

Add eggplants and cook for about 5 minutes. Stir often.

Add half of the sauce and cook for 2 minutes. Stir often

Add the rest of the sauce and cook for another 2 minutes. Stir.

Add vegetable stock and lower heat. Cook for 5 minutes.

Turn off heat.

Garnish with sliced green onions. Serve very hot with cooked rice.

VARIATION: you can make a version of this by adding chunks of tofu, either deep fried, stir fried or directly from the package.