Spicy Mango Salad with Shichimi Togarashi (Japanese Spice Mixture) - Recipe

Spicy Mango Salad with Shichimi Togarashi

The seasoning for this mango salad was inspired by shichimi togarashi (or the very similar nanami togarashi), a spicy Japanese condiment of ground chili peppers with orange peel, sesame seed and other spices. I've always bought premade togarashi, but then it occurred to me that I could make my own for more control and fresher flavor.

I've written about mango salads before; I love them because they can play the part both of a side dish and almost a salsa that you can eat along with your main course. Instead of a dressing, this time I simply tossed it with the togarashi mix, almost like a street-food snack you might find in either Southeast Asia or Mexico.

Rather than dirty my mandoline, I just used the same serrated vegetable peeler that I used to remove the skin from the mangos to cut them into thin sheets. The serration gives the flesh an appealing ridged texture. Just be careful because the peeled mangos are very slippery. We want to peel the fruit, not your hand. Use a clean dish towel for a better grip.

Spicy Mango Salad with Shichimi Togarashi
Vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free
Serves 4 as a side dish

• zest from 2 mandarin oranges
• 1 large dried chili peper of your choice (I used an aji amarillo), toasted in a dry skillet, seeds removed
• 2 teaspoons coriander seeds, toasted in a dry skillet
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted in a dry skillet
• salt
• 2 ripe mangos
• a few mint leaves, chiffonade

1. If you have time, spread the mandarin zest out on a plate and allow to air dry for a couple of hours. If not, it will still work.
2. Combine the zest, toasted chili pepper, and toasted coriander seeds in a spice grinder or mortar and pestle. Grind until it is a fairly fine powder. Add the toasted sesame seeds and a big pinch of salt and grind just a little more, leaving the sesame seeds partially intact.
3. Peel the mango. Using the same peeler, a mandoline, or a sharp knife, thinly slice the flesh. Toss with as much of the spice mix as you like, reserving a little to sprinkle on top.
4. To serve, garnish with a bit more of the spice mix and the mint leaves.

Thai Tofu Salad (Yam Taohu) - Recipe

 
Thai tofu salad (yam taohu)

Thai salads (yam) are tremendously refreshing, full of the bright flavors of herbs, citrus and chili peppers, balanced with salt and sweetness from either fruit or palm sugar. They are great with a beer, or as part of a complete meal with rice and a curry or noodle dish.

[Hey, did I mention? Please join the Herbivoracious Facebook page and share it with your friends; it is a great place to have more laid back, two-way conversation.]

The traditional way to eat these salads is to use Thai sticky rice to pick them up, or wrap them in lettuce or cabbage leaves.

Once you appreciate their basic aesthetic, you can readily improvise your own yams. Feel free to include just about any tropical fruit, raw or lightly cooked vegetable, or roasted peanuts. Go ahead and adjust the heat level to your preference, and add or subtract from the dressing. For example, you could replace the cilantro in this recipe with Thai basil or add garlic, or fresh ginger, or lemongrass ... you get the idea!

A word about the chilis in this dish. The most typical Thai choice would be bird chilis. They are tiny, and wicked hot. If you don't have them, serranos or even jalapenos would be a good alternative. Remove the seeds and ribs and make the dressing an hour in advance if you want it mild, or include everything and mix the chilis in at the last minute if you want maximum kick.

Thai Tofu Salad (yam taohu)
Vegetarian, vegan and gluten free
Serves 4 as part of a larger meal

For the dressing:

• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 6 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 teaspoon sugar (preferably palm sugar)
• 1-3 Thai bird chilis or serrano peppers, seeds and ribs removed (or see above)
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced shallots, preferably the large red variety
• salt

1. Combine all ingredients. Taste and add salt as needed, and adjust other components to get a good balance of flavors. It should be very intense, it will seem much more mild when added to the salad.

For the salad:

• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 pound extra-firm tofu, cut into 3/8" thick slabs
• salt and black pepper
• 1 cup medium diced seedless English cucumber
• 4 green onions, white and light green parts, cut into small bite sized lengths
• 1/2 cup cilantro leaves + some for garnish
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh mint

1. Heat the oil over a medium-high flame in a large skillet, preferably cast iron. Pat the tofu dry. Add in a single layer to the skillet and fry until quite brown on one side, about 3-5 minutes. Flip and brown on the other side. Remove to paper towels and season with salt and pepper.
2. After the tofu has cooled, slice it thinly, about 1/8" or so.
3. Toss the tofu and all remaining ingredients with the dressing.
4. Garnish with a few leaves of cilantro and serve (with sticky rice, or lettuce leaves, or just a fork :)

Roasted Cauliflower and White Bean Salad with Orange Olive Oil Dressing - Recipe

Roasted cauliflower salad with white beans

Roasted cauliflower is a staple side-dish in my house. We all love that caramelized flavor. And because cauliflower keeps quite well in the refrigerator, it works well with our lifestyle. We don't always know how many times in a given week we're going to get to prepare a full meal.

Simply roasting the cauliflower with olive oil and salt is terrific. But there is no limit to the ways you can dress it up with minimal additional effort. The active preparation time is no more than 10 or 15 minutes. Today's version with white beans turns it into a rather hearty salad.

You could also use romanesco

I based the flavors around Etruria's orange-infused olive oil (from ChefShop) with which I've been completely obsessed for the past few weeks. If you don't have that, a couple of other options would be to use finely grated orange zest with an unflavored but delicious extra-virgin olive oil, or you could use some of Trader Joe's tasty Orange Muscat Champagne Vinegar.

I like to cut a head of cauliflower into quarters, remove some of the core, and then break it up by hand from there. Once you get the hang of it, this technique produces more attractive, intact, round florets instead of the flat surfaces from a knife, and is just as fast. Try it and see if you don't agree.

Bad picture, good food

The first version I did of this dish was served hot, omitted the beans, and added homemade breadcrumbs  lots of chili flakes, and fresh mint. It also tasted great but I took a lousy picture of it! I hate it when that happens.

Other possible elaborations: green olives, raisins and capers (for a Sicilian spin), diced tomatoes, feta cheese, roasted garlic cloves.

Roasted Cauliflower and White Bean Salad with Orange Olive Oil Dressing
Serves 4
Vegetarian, vegan & gluten free

• 1 medium head cauliflower, cut into florets (see above)
• 2 tablespoons (plain) extra virgin olive oil
• 1 small can white beans, thoroughly drained and rinsed
• 1/3 cup finely diced red onion, sweet white onion, or shallot
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
  
• 3 tablespoons orange-infused olive oil (or see above for alternatives)
• 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar (or a nice red wine vinegar, or lemon juice)
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh rosemary, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• sea salt
• flat-leaf parsley (minced or not, your choice)

1. Preheat oven to 450 F. Toss the cauliflower with the unflavored olive oil and a generous pinch or two of salt. If you like, you can microwave for 5 minutes first to reduce the oven time. Roast until there are many deep brown patches, about 20 minutes or so.
2. Meanwhile, combine the rinsed beans, onion, garlic, orange-infused olive oil, sherry vinegary, rosemary, black pepper and 1 teaspoon of salt. Taste and adjust seasoning. Remember that you want a strong flavor because you will be combining this mixture with the cauliflower.
3. When the cauliflower is done, toss the beans and dressing with it while it is still warm. Allow to cool to room temperature, garnish with parsley, and serve.