This recipe is ultimately the result of me trying to use up the last odds and ends I had in my fridge and surprisingly, it turned out great!
I threw together this salad with my tuna tataki I made a few weeks back and had some people interested in the recipe, so here it is! Super fresh with variety of veggies. Really, you could probably use whatever you have in your fridge. My secret is slicing and dicing the veggies just right to add more texture and flavour to the recipe. I also love topping almost EVERYTHING with black & white sesame seeds. Why? Black sesame seeds (which are just unhulled white sesame seeds so they’ll have more calcium and be a bit more nutrient-dense) are extremely high in antioxidants, iron, Vitamin E, B Vitamins, zinc, magnesium… these little guys are loaded with so much goodness, in Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda practices they recommend you eating them every day!
Enjoy!
INGREDIENTS
- 1 – 2 tbsp Coconut Oil or Ghee
- Zucchini, diced
- Matchstick carrots
- Broccoli, chunked
- Red pepper, thinly sliced
- 1 – 2 tbsp sesame oil
- Sprouted Tofu, cubed (I like a smoked or spicy flavour)
- Sesame seeds (black & white)
- Matchstick cucumber
- Celery, chopped
- Lettuce, roughly chopped
- Green Onions, thinly sliced
- Shiitakes or mushrooms (optional)
DRESSING
- 2 tbsp Celery
- 1/2 tsp Garlic
- 2 tbsp Ginger, fresh
- 1/2 cup Onion
- 2 tbsp Ketchup or BBQ sauce (I know it sounds weird – but TRUST me!)
- 2 tsp Lemon juice
- 4 tsp Tamari (or soy sauce)
- 1/4 tsp Black pepper, freshly ground
- 1/2 tsp Sea Salt or Himalayan Salt
- 2 tsp Cane Sugar or Honey (you could also omit this)
- 1/2 cup Sesame oil
- 1/3 cup Rice vinegar
- 2 tbsp Water
INSTRUCTIONS
- Heat coconut oil or ghee in a cast iron pan over medium heat.
- Add broccoli and pan sear for about 1 – 2 minutes. Next add the carrots (and mushrooms if you are using them) and sear for another minute. Next add the zucchini and red pepper. Sear for a few minutes until veggies are lightly steamed. Remove from heat and keep warm (I usually throw it in the oven on a warming setting).
- Next, heat up sesame oil in a cast iron pan over medium-high heat.
- Add in diced tofu and sear in cast iron until lightly browned. Remove from heat and throw into warming oven.
- For the dressing, add all of the ingredients into a blender and blend on high until fully emulsified.
- Toss lettuce, celery and green onion (saving some to top with) in a bowl with the dressing and serve as the base. Next add your grilled veggies, tofu, and cucumber. Top with green onion and sesame seeds.
- Voila! Enjoy and let me know in the comments below if you tried it out! Or share your photos of this recipe with me on Instagram and Facebook!
With love,
Heidi MacAulay
“Eat more plants. Do more yoga. Read more books.”
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