BUN
2 c. Romaine lettuce, shredded
2 c. Bean sprouts
1 1/2 c. cucumbers, peeled, seeded, and julienned (I didn't seed them)
1/2 c. fresh mint leaves, roughly chopped
1/2 c. fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped
2 c. grilled meat - beef, pork, chicken, or shrimp*
1/2 of a 13 oz package of thai rice sticks (like for Pad Thai), cooked according to package directions
1/4 c. peanuts, finely chopped
Toss all ingredients in a bowl, except the peanuts, which you sprinkle on top for garnish.
The recipe says that "a combination of peanut oil, minced garlic, red pepper flakes, diced onions, and a sprinkle of sugar makes a great dressing." Instead, I used this stuff that Rachel told me about; it's a vinaigrette dressing spray, Safeway's store brand, Eating Right. I chose Asian Sesame Ginger, which is perfect for this dish (hence my suggestion for cooking the tofu). It has 10 calories per serving (which is 10 sprays, 1 calorie each), and zero fat.
* I say that the meat is optional, in fact I am going to omit it when I make this the next time. It didn't really add anything to the salad, and the mint and basil and cucumber is such a light and refreshing combination, the meat was just superfluous, I think. I suppose you could add tofu to this dish; I would cut it into chunks and brown it with ginger and maybe some sesame oil.
Sounds yummy! It's funny that you posted this today because I marinated some tofu this weekend in a homemade sesame-ginger vinaigrette. I've been eating it with brown rice and zucchini, but I'll have to try this recipe for some of it.
ReplyDeleteOh my yes, Sarah, DO! Sooo good. I'm taking some of it for my snack tomorrow at work. YUMMM.
ReplyDeleteLet me know how/if you like it!
Just made it, with a few adjustments. I used chinese cabbage instead of romaine lettuce, didn't peel or seed the cucumber, and basically didn't measure anything. I think I ended up with close to a double batch. Then I baked the tofu, cut it into cubes, and added it to the salad, along with ~1/4 cup of the marinade. The salad is delicious! I have to say I agree with you that the tofu is superfluous flavor wise and I think I'd prefer it without, though it does add protein.
ReplyDeleteOh I'm so glad you like it! The fresh mint and cucumber really make my mouth sooo happy!!
ReplyDeleteI have a couple of questions for you: how do you bake tofu? From your comments, you don't cut it up before baking it, so you marinated it in one big chunk? Do you just put it on a cookie sheet or something to bake it? 'Splain, pls. :)
Second, do you know if there is such a thing as brown rice pad thai noodles? I mean, I just bought brown rice spaghetti at Trader Joe's last week, but I didn't notice (and wasn't looking for) flat noodles, but it seems like that would be a better choice here, if they make such a thing.
The peanuts add a little protein, right? I guess you could throw some quinoa in there, but that would make for a funky texture, I think.
I actually think that this dish, without any tofu or meat, would be a lovely side dish to some protein-ish entree, like a Garden burger or something. Whatever, I'm definitely making it 'naked' next time. I think I will try the suggested dressing, too, although this spray stuff is pretty darned good.
To bake tofu you cut it into slices approximately 1/4" thick. I usually buy the Nasoya extra firm, cut it in two, then stand each half on it's side and cut it into 3 or 4 slices. I marinated my tofu, so I just lightly greased a baking sheet, and baked at 375 for ~35 min, turning them half-way through. If you're not marinating, you may want to brush them with soy sauce and let them sit for at least 10 min to absorb some flavor. After it's done baking I cut it into cubes...but I thought you weren't supposed to eat soy?
ReplyDeleteI've never seen brown rice pad thai noodles before.
Yes, the peanuts add protein, though the way I made it, it works out to ~ 1/16 of a cup per serving, which isn't really much protein. You're right that it would go well paired with something else that had protein though.
Tonight I made another batch of the chickenless soup for a cold (wicked sore throat, hoping it doesn't turn into a cold), but I added 2 packages (4 servings) of Yves brand fake chicken strips for protein, and I had a large bowl (~ 2 cups) of this with the salad.
Yeah, well, technically I'm not supposed to eat soy, but tofu is better than edamame because it's fermented. I like tofu, so I just thought maybe sometime I would try your marinate/bake thing.
ReplyDeleteGlad you made some more of that soup... the hotter the peppers you employ, the greater the bad-bacteria-killing capabilities, as you know. I think there is a good possibility that eating that soup could prevent the sore throat from blossoming into a cold. Here's hopin,' anyway.