It's springtime and that means the eating is lighter and a lot more vegetable-y. With all the fresh and local vegetables to be found here in Atlanta, there's no excuse not to get your hands dirty and enjoy all the flavors of spring! This is part 1 of a 2 part series on hearty and healthy spring side dishes, featuring an Asian cole slaw (also known as pressed salad) with ume-tahini dressing. Try it out at your next spring picnic!
This recipe is adapted from one I experienced at a Warren Kramer macrobiotic cooking class in conjunction with Atlanta Macrobiotics. It was delicious that day and I've made a few tweaks to call it my own. Here goes!
Ingredients - Pressed Salad
- 1/2 head of medium cabbage, thinly sliced
- 1 daikon (Japanese radish), peeled and cut into thin matchsticks
- 1 large carrot, coarsely shredded
- 2 large scallions (spring onions), thinly sliced on the diagonal
- 1/8 tsp sea salt
Directions - Pressed Salad
Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl. Using your hands, gently massage the salt into the vegetables until they start to wilt and water is extracted. This may take a few minutes. Place a plate (a pot lid works well, too) on top of the vegetables and weigh down with a large jar filled with water or other weight. Cover with a towel and let sit on the counter for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until vegetables reach the desired tenderness.
Ingredients - Dressing
- 4 tbsp tahini (sesame seed butter)
- 1 tsp whole grain or dijon mustard
- 1 tsp umeboshi vinegar
- 1 tsp shoyu (naturally fermented soy sauce, can sub with tamari for gluten-free version)
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
Directions - Dressing
Mix all ingredients except sesame seeds in a small bowl. Whisk or blend together, adding a little bit of filtered or spring water at a time to get the desired consistency. Combine dressing thoroughly with pressed salad. To toast the sesame seeds, heat a cast iron (you can use stainless if necessary) skillet and add the raw sesame seeds. Gently rock the skillet over the flame until the seeds start to pop. Set aside to cool, and store extra for a garnish. Mix in sesame seeds right before serving.
Makes about 10 1/2 cup servings.
Nutritional Info (per serving)
Calories: 70; Fat: 4g; Cholesterol: 0mg; Sodium: 185mg; Total Carbs: 7g; Dietary Fiber: 3g; Protein: 2.5g; Potassium: 265mg; Vitamin C: 38% daily value
Comments