Avocado Salad With A Homemade Japanese Inspired Sesame & Applesauce Dressing

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Avocado Salad With A HomeMade Japanese Inspired Sesame & Applesauce Dressing

Link to my newest and old recipes, click:

https://kitchenbaroness.wordpress.com/

The combination of the 7 salad ingredients with the homemade salad dressing makes this a scrumptious salad which I have been eating a lot of.

I used to frequent, on a far too often basis, a small Japanese eatery that serves this salad. I liked it so much I would deliberately go back just to eat it.

It took me a long time to realise that it would make more sense for me to come up with a recipe for it. Surprising since, waiting for a carpark lot is one of my pet peeves and parking there can be close to a nightmare. On hindsight, I think I was so into the salad, I was coming up with excuses to eat it. 

When I finally did admit to myself that it was nonsensical to be circling around the carpark for sometimes 15 minutes just for a salad, I made more excuses to go back. After all, I told myself, I had to make sure I have the taste imprinted in my mind and so another chopstick full of avocado salad would be guided into my mouth.

As I was coming up with the recipe for the sesame dressing, it occurred to me that the Japanese eatery very likely bought their sesame sauce. You can certainly buy the salad dressing but have your read the list of ingredients at the back of the bottle? There are ingredients in there that read, "enzymatically decomposed yolk and salt". I am not joking.

You buy the sesame dressing if you like. I am sure the better quality ones would be good but given a choice I would rather not have a "decomposed yolk" pass through my lips. 

AVOCADO SALAD WITH A HOMEMADE JAPANESE INSPIRED SESAME & APPLESAUCE DRESSING

Prep:	20 minutes
Cook:	3-5 minutes to toast the sesame seeds
Inactive:	-
Level:	Easy
Serves:	4 as a side salad, 2 as a meal
Oven Temperature:	-
Can recipe be doubled?	Yes
Make ahead?	2 hours before serving, ingredients can be cut and each ingredient tightly wrapped individually in plastic wrap to avoid drying out and discolouration. Refrigerate.

Just the ingredients 1 Tablespoon sesame seeds 1 to 2 avocados 1 cup baby tomatoes 5 cups lettuce leaves cut 1/4 cup purple cabbage shredded 3/4 cup red apple cut 3/4 cup seedless cucumber cut 1/2 cup of my homemade Sesame Applesauce Salad Dressing

Ingredients

1 Tablespoon sesame seeds
1 to 2 avocados 

1 cup baby tomatoes cut
5 cups lettuce leaves cut
1/4 cup purple cabbage shredded

3/4 cup red apple cut

3/4 cup seedless cucumber cut

1/2 cup of my homemade Sesame Applesauce Salad Dressing

Method

Toast the sesame seeds in a hot frying pan. Stir the seeds to avoid burning.

Once it starts to smell nice and are a light golden brown, turn off the heat and remove the pan from the burner. Transfer to a plate. 

If you leave it in the pan, it might start to burn in the residual heat. Cool.

All the vegetables/apple should be thoroughly chilled before assembling salad.

Cut vegetables/apple as shown in the photograph. 

The purple cabbage should be in 1" (2.5cm) length slivers.

The red apple was halved, cored, sliced, stacked up and cut at a diagonal into matchstick size.

The cucumber was sliced diagonally, stacked up  and cut at a diagonal into matchstick size.

Distribute ingredients (except the avocado and sesame seeds) evenly into 4 bowls.

Top with the avocado. Drizzle with the homemade Sesame Applesauce Salad Dressing and sprinkle lastly with the sesame seeds.

No one would complain if you leave more of the dressing at the table for your diners to help themselves.

Tips

If you are concerned about having leftover salad dressing, the dressing is very versatile and can be used as a vegetable dip, sauce over cold udon, blocks of cold tofu... Click to link to my post before this for visuals of these dishes, Sesame Applesauce Salad Dressing And Dip
WHAT'S COMING UP NEXT?                                                 

These crispy gluten & egg free corn fritters which are highly addictive!

Sesame & Applesauce Salad Dressing And Dip

Hi! I'm now working from Wordpress. I've spent a great deal of time editing and reorganising this post on Wordpress and it is so much friendlier to read & follow my recipe from there. Click on this link to take you directly to the recipe:

Sesame & Applesauce Salad Dressing And Dip

Link to my newest and old recipes, click:

https://kitchenbaroness.wordpress.com/

This is my Japanese inspired, oil free sesame salad dressing sweeten primarily with applesauce. It also makes a wonderful dipping sauce.

This creamy sauce is inspired by the many bowls of avocado salad that I have been ordering from a small Japanese eatery. I am always ordering the same two items off their menu, chirashi don (sashimi laid over a bowl of sushi rice) and avocado salad. 

I was frequenting the eatery too often. It reached a point where I decided I should just learn how to make the sauce. After all, not only would it be more economical, it would also save me the hassle of finding a car park lot in an area noted for limited parking space.

The bonus to now being able to make this sauce is the versatility of it. Use it:

• as a salad dressing (but of course)
• as a dip for a range of vegetables
• drizzled over cold tofu
• poured over little parcels of tightly bundled, chilled blanched spinach
• as an additional dipping sauce for Japanese hot pot/steamboat (shabu-shabu)
• on cold udon noodles

Scroll down to 'Tips' for visuals of some of the above dishes.

SESAME & APPLESAUCE SALAD DRESSING AND DIP

Prep:	5 minutes
Cook:	3 minutes (to toast the sesame seeds)
Inactive:	-
Level:	Easy
Makes:	~1 and 1/2 cups of dressing; ~1 and 1/4 cups of dip
Oven Temperature:	-
Can recipe be doubled?	Yes
Make ahead?	Can be made 5 days ahead.

Just the ingredients 4 and 1/2 Tablespoons sesame seeds 6 Tablespoons applesauce 4 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar  1 and 1/2 Tablespoons mirin 1 and 1/2 Tablespoons Kikoman soy sauce  1 and 1/2 Tablespoons white miso  1 teaspoon mustard powder 1 Tablespoon sugar If you intend to use as a salad dressing, add: Up to 1/4 cup cold water + up to 1/4 teaspoon of salt

Ingredients

4 and 1/2 Tablespoons sesame seeds

6 Tablespoons apple sauce

Instead of buying a bottle/can of applesauce, you could buy a small bottle from the baby food aisle.

4 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar 

1 and 1/2 Tablespoons mirin

1 and 1/2 Tablespoons Kikoman soy sauce 

1 and 1/2 Tablespoons white miso 

1 teaspoon mustard powder

1 Tablespoon sugar

If you are not intending to use the sauce as a dip, add:

Up to 1/4 cup cold water + up to 1/4 teaspoon of salt

Applesauce comes in varying viscosity. Adjust more/less water to get it into a thin salad dressing consistency. Adjust salt in proportion to the amount of water you add.

Method

Toast the sesame seeds in a hot frying pan. Stir the seeds to avoid burning.

Once it starts to smell nice and are a light golden brown, turn off the heat and remove the pan from the burner. Transfer to a plate. 

If you leave it in the pan, it might start to burn in the residual heat. Cool.

In a grinder, grind the cooled sesame seeds until fine. If your grinder is also a food processor, making this sauce will be quite effortless. 

Fortunately, my machine has dual functions and it takes me less than 2 minutes to complete making the sauce.

Now add, apple cider vinegar, mirin, soy sauce, apple sauce, miso, sugar and dry mustard powder. 

Turn on the machine and grind until smooth. 

Taste and adjust seasoning. It should taste stronger than what you want as it will taste less intense once you use the sauce over your food of choice.

Sauces, miso and vinegars varies in intensity of flavour and viscosity. If your sauce is too thin (mostly likely because the applesauce is thinner than the one I used), add 1/2 Tablespoon more toasted (and ground) sesame seeds. Likewise, if too sour, add more sugar or applesauce, etcetera.

The sauce at this stage can be used as a dip. You should not need to add any of the cold water.

For all other uses, I would thin it out with a little cold water, but not more than 1/4 cup of cold water. If you add the full 1/4 cup of cold water, add that additional 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Adjust salt according to the amount of cold water you end up adding.

Transfer into an airtight bottle and refrigerate. It taste better chilled.

Tips

I made the dishes below so that you have a visual of how else this very versatile sauce could be used. 

Over cold blocks of tofu

Over cold, pressed bundles of spinach

As a sauce over cold Japanese udon

It is a good alternative to dairy based dips or another salsa. On the platter are turnips (jicama), endives, etcetera. 

WHAT'S COMING UP NEXT?                                                 

This Avocado Salad which I have been eating lots of! It uses the Sesame Applesauce Salad Dressing that you now know how to make!

Figs & Peppered Ricotta Salad With A Homemade Balsamic Vinaigrette

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Figs & Peppered Ricotta Salad With A Homemade Balsamic Vinaigrette

Link to my newest and old recipes, click:

https://kitchenbaroness.wordpress.com

Salad greens drizzled with a delicious homemade balsamic vinaigrette pairs perfectly with pre-dressed figs - quarter figs down almost to its base, pucker them up, dollop with ricotta and top with pepper, honey, extra virgin olive oil and lemon zest. All you need now is a fork.

Once I get word that figs are in season, I hasten to the market to get some. I love figs! I love them as they are, in my breakfast oats, in my dessert pies but best of all, in this salad!

FIGS AND PEPPERED RICOTTA WITH A HOMEMADE BALSAMIC VINAIGRETTE 

Prep:	10 minutes
Cook:	-
Inactive:	-
Level:	Easy
Serves:	2
Oven Temperature:	-
Can recipe be doubled?	Yes
Make ahead?	Vinaigrette can be made a week ahead.

Just the ingredients For the vinaigrette 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar 1/2 to 1 teaspoon sugar pinch of pepper and salt For the salad 4 figs 4 Tablespoons ricotta 2 teaspoons honey Extra virgin olive oil for drizzling 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest  1/8 teaspoon black pepper 2 cups of mesclun/mixed salad greens

Ingredients

For the vinaigrette

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Don't splurge on authentic, super pricey balsamic vinegar. Use what you can purchase from your regular grocery store which is affordable though it differs considerably in taste from premium grade. This is why I mention (below), you must add the caster sugar.

1/2 to 1 teaspoon sugar

The amount of sugar you use depends on how sharp the balsamic vinegar taste. You want the salad dressing to be slightly on the sweet side. Don't skip.

Pinch of pepper and salt

For the salad

4 Figs

4 Tablespoons ricotta

The consistency of ricotta differs across brands. If the ricotta is runny (like the one pictured above), before using, drain it for 1/2 an hour or overnight, in a colander/strainer that has been lined with kitchen paper towels.

2 teaspoons honey

Extra virgin olive oil for drizzling

1/2 teaspoon lemon zest or grate the lemon zest directly over the figs

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

2 cups of mesclun/mixed salad greens

Method

Prepare the balsamic vinaigrette

Whisk all the balsamic vinaigrette ingredients together. Taste and adjust seasonings. 

If you are not using it shortly, refrigerate. I like this dressing to be chilled.

Dress the figs

Prepare the figs only when you are ready to eat.

Set all the figs on a plate.

Quarter the figs almost down to its base. Use your two thumbs and forefingers to pinch and push the base of the figs upwards so that they are thrust upwards to open up like a blossom. Return them to the plate. 

Dollop 1 Tablespoons of ricotta into each cavity. Remember to drain ricotta before hand if its consistency is runny.

Drizzle 1/2 teaspoon honey over each mound of ricotta. 

Lightly drizzle extra virgin olive oil over each fig. 

Divide the 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest or zest directly over the figs.

Finally, sprinkle black pepper over each mound of ricotta. 

Assembling the salad

Distribute the mesclun/salad greens onto 2 plates and drizzle the balsamic vinaigrette over them.

Place 2 dressed figs over each plate of salad. Eat.

Tips

• So you do not like figs. No problem. Use peaches or nectarines instead.

• The dressed figs can be served as part of a meze. I often do so when they are in season. For the recipes of the meze on my dining table, click here, Meze, A Selection of Wonderful Little Bites. 

WHAT'S COMING UP NEXT?                                                

A Japanese Sesame Sauce that I make with applesauce. You can choose to use it as a salad dressing or as a dip. In Japanese restaurants, there is a similar sesame sauce that is drizzled over blocks of cold tofu or little parcels of cold tightly bundled spinach. So many ways to enjoy it!

Beetroot Salad With 20-minutes Sweet Pickled Onions

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Beetroot Salad With 20-minutes Sweet Pickled Onions.Link to my newest and old recipes, click:

https://kitchenbaroness.wordpress.com/

Here is a beetroot salad with an interesting blend of unexpected flavours - sweet, salty, savoury and sharp.

The salty savouriness comes from the creamy blue cheese and then there is extra virgin olive oil. The sweetness and sharpness is from the onions that were pickled in sugar and vinegar. The sharp and salty capers and pickled onions provides little bites of crunch to the salad. 

Those who like beetroots would like this salad. Those who do not appreciate the earthy flavour of beetroots would find this salad rather palatable as the other flavours - sweet, salty, sharp - helps tone down the 'earthiness' of beetroot. 

This salad goes best with fresh crusty bread, such as a baguette, so that you can sponge up all the flavours off your plate.

There is no salad dressing to prepare. Drizzle the plated salad with the sweet pickled juices, extra virgin olive oil and grate a generous amount of lemon zest over the plate. It becomes even simpler to make if you can buy ready cooked beetroots.

This is my favourite way to eat beetroot.

ROASTED BEETROOT SALAD WITH 20-MINUTE SWEET PICKLED ONIONS

Prep:	15 minutes
Cook:	~1 hour to roast beetroot or buy ready roasted
Inactive:	20 minutes
Level:	Easy
Serves:	2
Oven Temperature:	400 F (200C) if roasting beetroot
Can recipe be doubled?	Yes
Make ahead?	Up to 2 days

Just the ingredients 20-minute sweet pickled onions 1/2 cup (50g) onions, thinly sliced 1 Tablespoon lemon/lime juice 1 and 1/2 Tablespoons sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt Salad ingredients 1 whole beetroot OR buy ready roasted 1 teaspoon capers 2 Tablespoons (less/more) of any kind of blue cheese 1 to 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil  1 Tablespoon lemon juice  1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon black pepper Zest of 1 lemon/lime

Ingredients

20-minute pickled onions

1/2 cup (50g) onions, thinly sliced

1 Tablespoon lemon/lime juice

1 and 1/2 Tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

Salad ingredients

1 whole beetroot OR buy ready roasted
1 teaspoon capers

2 Tablespoons (less/more) of any kind of blue cheese

1 to 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 

1 Tablespoon lemon juice 

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Zest of 1 lemon/lime

Method

Roast the beetroot

Heat up the oven to 400F (200C) oven rack adjusted to middle position. Wrap the beetroot in aluminium foil. It should look like a UFO.  Hot air circulates within the package and helps speed up cooking. That is what I am told anyway.

Bake in heated oven for 1 hour. Beetroot is cooked when you can easily insert a skewer through it. 

Unwrap and when it is cool enough to handle, peel off the skin which can be pretty fun. Slice the beetroot as thinly as you can manage. Cover and set aside until ready to use. I keep the sliced beetroot in the refrigerator as I like them cold.

Assembling the salad

Arrange the sliced beetroot on a large flat serving plate. Distribute the capers, little bites of blue cheese and drained pickled onions over them.

Drizzle the extra virgin olive and lemon juice. Sprinkle pepper and salt.

Finally grate lemon zest directly over the salad.

Serve with chunks of bread.

Tips

If you like beetroot, it makes sense to roast more than one beetroot in the oven. I often roast at least 3 individually aluminium foiled wrapped beetroot at a time.

This is what I do with them:

• Roast Beef With Beetroot Tea Sandwiches

My ideal roast beef tea sandwich. Beefy tasting,
 tender and moist.

There is a thin slice of beetroot within each sandwich. I roast my own beef and they are meltingly tender with an enticing round pink centre.

• Beetroot soup

If you have a blender, this is about the easiest soup you can make as you literally zap all the ingredients in a blender. I add capers in it for an unexpected tangy zing! I will be posting this recipe shortly. It is rather different from the usual beetroot soups.

WHAT'S COMING UP NEXT?                                                 

Figs Topped With Peppered Ricotta served on a bed of mesclun salad drizzled with an easy homemade balsamic vinaigrette.