Japanese Style Salad

Had some Daikon radish and wanted a salad, so came up with this:

2 cups shredded Daikon

1 cup shredded carrot

1 TBS Soy Sauce

2 TBS rice wine vinegar

1 tsp Toasted sesame seed oil

1 TBS toasted sesame seeds

1 can tuna

2 TBS mayonnaise

Mix ingredients together, and enjoy.

Dressing develops a beautiful orange coloration from the carrots.

Options; wasabi, seaweed, chicken, hot sauce, Bonita flakes, could also be mixed with cold oriental noodles.

Delicious!

Bursting Tomatoes

I watched the Barefoot Contessa this week, and she made an Angel Hair Pasta with fresh tomatoes. I was inspired to try it, with my variations.

1 Pkg WW Gnocchi
2 cups grape tomatoes
1 TBS olive oil
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp garlic
1 bunch diced scallions
1 cup fresh basil leaves
Parmegiano/Regiano cheese

Saute garlic and pepper in olive oil for 30 seconds in medium heat pan, add tomatoes and move them around in the oil until they are coated, then cook for about 5 minutes, now add the scallions, and stir for about a minute, add the basil stir, and remove from heat.This cooks the tomatoes to the point that they are heated, but not bursting. Add the cheese, and then mix with cooked pasta.

I found the gnocchi a little heavy, so you might use a lighter pasta, but it will be good, whatever you choose. What makes this dish is hot, fresh tomatoes bursting in your mouth.

A Simple Dessert

1/2 c Yogurt Cheese
1 c Blueberries
1 tsp Drambuie

Mix together, serve.

Tastes both delicious, and elegant. Obviously you could use other fruits, or a different liquor, use your imagination. I added walnuts once, and enjoyed that as well.

Yogurt Cheese

I frequently cook with yogurt cheese, also known as "Greek Yogurt", Lebneh etc. depending on the culture. It is basically your yogurt of choice (excluding one with gelatin in it, which binds the moisture) with the whey removed.

Here is a link to making it easily:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/17/dining/17mini.html?ref=dining

You can also buy a Yogurt cheese maker, which is what I have, as I don't like leaving things open to oxygen. Here is the one I use:

http://www.cuisipro.com/site/eng/product_detail.aspx?category_id=category_007&subcategory_id=subcategory_053&product_id=prod_0144

Recipes to follow.