Crunch Your Way Through Winter
A Salad Worth Savoring
Hey Potheads! Thanks for all the great feedback on last week’s recipe. At first I thought a warm salad like that might be too weird but I’m so glad I went with my gut. If you haven’t made it yet, get to it. You won’t be sorry.
This week I wanted to show you how to make another full meal winter salad from recipes you already have. This one is extra fancy looking but don’t worry, nothing about it is hard. Like I’ve told you before, peanut sauce is one of my comfort foods but I usually only make it during the spring and summer months. I toss it over soba noodles, cucumbers, you know the deal. It’s great, but I need comfort now, and it’s too cold for chilled noodles.
Hence another warm salad. I made my ginger peanut sauce and tofu katsu and paired them both with a warm salad of quickly blanched kale. First I got the tofu in the oven, then added 4 cups of shredded kale to the remain warm broth from simmering the tofu that was still on the stove. I left the kale in there, tossing around frequently, just long enough to wilt and turn a slightly brighter green, about 30 seconds to a minute depending on how hot your pan is. Let it drain briefly then toss it in a large bowl while it’s still warm. I added shredded carrots and thinly sliced red onions to the mix, then drizzled a 1/2 cup—or more—the sauce right over the whole mess. Add a little salt and pepper, a little cilantro if your so inclined, and you’ve got a very fancy looking meal in no time.
To plate it, put a little extra peanut sauce on the bottom of the plate, add the dressed salad right on top, place the sliced tofu katsu on the kale bed, then drizzle over a little extra sauce. Boom. Isn’t it pretty?
