Cooking corner: Thai style salad

Helen Taylor Smith

guest columnist

Summer time and salads are easy and so healthy.

Most salads can be prepared ahead of time during the cooler morning hours and refrigerated until ready to serve which makes for a more relaxed meal; especially for the cook.

This salad recipe can be completely prepped ahead of time including the grilled chicken; just keep everything refrigerated (except the tomatoes) and toss everything together just prior to serving.

This delicious tasting salad has lots of greens and vegetables to help families get their daily quota.

It is tossed together with a spicy, Asian dressing (see recipe below).

If desired, grill chicken breasts and slice to top or add to the salad just before serving.

Check in the natural food section at Fred Meyer’s for dressing ingredients.

INGREDIENTS

1 large head of romaine lettuce wash and pat dry and chop into bite size pieces

3 cups curly green leaf lettuce wash and pat dry and chop into bite size pieces

1 cup cilantro wash and pat dry then remove stems and chop

1 cup carrots wash and scrape and cut into matchsticks about 1 inch in length

1 cup zucchini wash and cut into matchsticks about 1 inch in length

1 cup green onions wash and pat dry and cut using green part only

1 cup Roma tomatoes wash and chop coarsely

1/2 cup toasted unsalted peanuts - optional

6 dried Asian red peppers – available at natural foods stores

ASIAN SALAD DRESSING - See RECIPE BELOW

1 boneless skinless chicken breast grilled and sliced - optional

TECHNIQUE

Use dye free dish soap, suds hands and wash greens, cilantro, carrots, zucchini, green onions, tomatoes and red peppers. Rinse thoroughly and pat dry with paper towels. In 8 quart size bowl place 2 sheets of plain paper towel in bowl bottom. Chop greens into bite size pieces and place in bowl. Chop cilantro and add. Cut carrot and zucchini into match stick size pieces and add. Cover bowl with plain piece of paper towel and refrigerate until ready to serve. Cut green onion tops into small pieces and place into an airtight container and refrigerate. Chop Roma tomatoes and place into a bowl, cover keeping bowl on counter top as tomatoes taste better at room temperature. Toast peanuts if needed, package airtight. If using grilled chicken breasts, prepare and grill, cut into strips. For serving, remove bowl from refrigerator, discard paper towels and add green onions, tomatoes, peanuts and Asian red peppers. Pour on dressing and toss thoroughly. Divide evenly on six dinner plates topping with grilled chicken breast slices.

Yield – 6 servings

THAI STYLE SALAD DRESSING

INREDIENTS

1/2 cup ORGANIC BROWN RICE VINEGAR

2 tablespoons TOASTED SESAME OIL 100% expeller pressed

2/3 cup Thai Peanut Sauce – SAN-J brand

2 tablespoons Agave sweetener or evaporated cane juice (sugar)

1 tablespoon fresh ginger minced

1 tablespoon chile oil *

TECHNIQUE

Place all ingredients into blender on high for 90 seconds. Pour mixture into clean jar, cap tightly and refrigerate. Make dressing at least a day ahead to allow flavors to blend providing more zing. Dressing will remain fresh for at least 3 weeks. Shake dressing before using.

Yield – about 1 cup

To make chile oil, pour 2/3 cup of 100% expeller pressed canola oil into a small bottle with a tight lid. Add 2 tablespoons of red chile pepper flakes. Shake well. Keep refrigerated. Shake occasionally to mix. Chile oil will become hotter as it sits.

Reach Healthy Cook Helen Smith at thecook@thehealthycook.com. This recipe is supplemental to and property of “Cooking Healthier with the Healthy Cook” by Helen Taylor Smith. Permission is granted for personal use only. No commercial use permitted without explicit written contract with the author.