Salads
Japanese Soba Noodle Salad with Sesame and Ginger
6 serves
INGREDIENTS
220g soba noodles (about 2 bundles) or spaghetti noodles of choice
½ - 1 Tbsp olive oil
2 small Lebanese cucumbers
4 red radishes, finely sliced
1/8 red cabbage, finely sliced
1 bunch spring onions (green shallots), sliced [save ¼ for garnish]
⅓ cup tahini
2 Tbsp rice vinegar
1 Tbsp finely grated fresh ginger
1 Tbsp white miso
2 tsp reduced sodium tamari or soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
½ bunch fresh coriander, chopped
¼ tsp red chilli flakes (or to your liking)
⅓ to ½ cup water
2 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds (preferably black)
Garnish
Sliced spring onion (green shallot)
½ bunch coriander leaves, chopped
1 fresh chilli, sliced
Sesame seeds
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and cook the soba noodles until al dente, according to package directions. Be careful not to overcook them. Drain and rinse the noodles under cold water . Transfer to a large bowl and coat in a little olive to avoiding sticking.
2. Using a chef’s knife or Japanese slicer (mandolin) slice the cucumber and radish into thin rounds and slice the cabbage finely.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the tahini, rice vinegar, ginger, miso, tamari/soy sauce, sesame oil, coriander and chilli flakes. Once mixed, whisk in water until you reach your desired consistency.
4. Toss the soba noodles in the tahini- sesame-ginger dressing. Just before serving toss in the cucumber, radish, cabbage, shallots and sesame seeds. Check seasoning to taste and add additional soy/tamari if necessary. Serve immediately.
Chef’s notes
Soba noodles
Soba noodles are a type of Japanese noodles made from buckwheat and sometimes green tea. Low in fat, soba noodles are a great source of amino acids and fibre. The noodles are often served cold or at room temperature or in hot soup such as soba noodle soup.
Soba noodles cook much faster than spaghetti or egg noodles and It’s important to drain the noodles well and run it under cold water to prevent sticking. It also helps to remove any starch from the noodles.
You can prepare the dressing ahead of time but I don’t recommend tossing everything together until you are ready to serve because the soba noodles will absorb the dressing and become soggy.
Ginger
Nutritional Benefits
Ginger is a flowering plant that originated in Southeast Asia. It’s among the healthiest spices on the planet and has been used for thousands of centuries as a medicinal herb to treat many ailments.
It belongs to the Zingiberaceae family, closely related to turmeric, cardamom, and galangal. It is commonly used as a spice. Ginger is high in gingerol, a substance with powerful anti-inflammatory agent. It’s can be effective for menstrual cramps and osteoarthritis. Ginger has antioxidant properties which can boost your immunity and can help prevent various types of nausea, including chemotherapy-related nausea, nausea after surgery, motion sickness and morning sickness.
Ginger speeds up the emptying of the stomach, which can be beneficial for people with indigestion and related stomach discomfort..
Ginger supplements can be useful for above ailments, however interactions with some medications can occur, so consult your GP or Clinical nutritionist before taking high dose supplements of ginger.
Pickled Beetroot and Quinoa Salad
Serves 4
Vegetarian and vegan
Ingredients
· 1 large beetroot
· ¼ tsp salt
· 170g quinoa
· 480 ml water
· 70g Sunflower seeds
· 1 small red onion, finely chopped
· 1/2 bunch parsley, roughly chopped
· ¼ bunch mint leaves, torn
· 1 tsp dried mint
· ½ tsp sumac
· 1 lemon, juiced
· 4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
· Salt and freshly ground pepper
Method
1. Wash, peel and finely grate the beetroot. Put in a bowl, add the salt and squeeze really well with your hands until the beetroot flesh starts ‘sweating’. Cover with a small plate that fits into the bowl, top with something heavy and allow to rest for 1-2 hours.
2. Drain most of the pickle juice from the beetroot.
3. Put the quinoa in a sieve and rinse well under running water and drain.
4. Put both the quinoa and water in a saucepan, bring to the boil. Add a few pinches of salt, lower the heat to its minimum setting, half-cover the saucepan with a lid and cook until the quinoa absorbs all the water (around 15 minutes). Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
5. Put the sunflower seeds in a frying pan over a medium heat and dry-roast, stirring vigorously and toast till they are golden brown. Put aside.
6. In a large mixing bowl, gently toss red onion, parsley, mint leaves, quinoa, together. Add extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Toss the squeezed-out beetroot in gently and serve. Garnish with more chopped parsley.
Chef’s Notes
Quinoa
Nutritional benefits
Quinoa is termed a pseudo-cereals containing significant amounts of all the essential amino acids including lysine. Quinoa is high in dietary fibre, rich in carbohydrates and has a low GI of 53. Quinoa is gluten free and has high protein content. Relatively low in fat( most of which is omega-6 polyunsaturated fat), quinoa provides notable quantities of manganese, magnesium, iron, copper, phosphorus and potassium and Vitamins E and B-group, as well as polyphenols, phytosterols and flavonoids.
Basic cooking instructions for perfectly fluffy quinoa
1. Always use twice as much water as quinoa. One part quinoa; two parts water. Cook at a simmer, uncovered until the quinoa has absorbed all the water. The cooking time will vary based on quantity of quinoa and saucepan size.
2. Once the water is all absorbed, remove the pot from heat, cover and let the quinoa steam for 5 minutes, so the quinoa pops open into fluffy quinoa perfection.