Monday 11 February 2013

Mixed Vegetable Salad with Peanut Sauce



Yesterday was Chinese New Year and living right in the heart of Canada's oldest Chinatown we had front row seats to all the celebrations. Lion dancers, dragon dancers, fan dancers, fire crackers, red envelops of money and steamed buns. It was a great day of seeing our community in all it's ethnic beauty.
I'm going to share a not so Asian recipe with you today, but with perhaps a slight Asian feel. We have all had I'm sure, Satay sauce on noodles, but this is a lighter version on a mixed vegetable base. After steamed buns for lunch this light supper was perfect.

Mixed Vegetable Salad with Peanut Sauce
adapted from Australian Women's Weekly Vegie Food Cookbook

4 medium carrots, cut into batons
1 medium potato, coarsely chopped
200g cauliflower, cut into florets
100g snow peas, trimmed and halved
1 Lebanese cucumber, cut into batons
1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped iceburg lettuce
1 1/2 cups bean sprouts
1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh coriander

Peanut Sauce
1/2 cup (70g) toasted unsalted peanuts
2 cloves garlic, quartered
4 green onions, chopped coarsely
1/2 tsp brown sugar
1 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1 tbsp lemon juice
3/4 cup (180ml) water
140ml can light coconut milk

Steam carrot, potato, cauliflower and peas, separately, until just tender; drain. Rinse under cold water; drain.
Meanwhile, make peanut sauce. Grind nuts, either in mortar and pestle or using a food processor, until finely crushed. Being careful not to over grind and end up with nut butter. Transfer nuts to a small bowl. Crush garlic and green onion into a paste, again using either mortar and pestle or a food processor. Cook garlic mixture in medium lightly oiled frying pan, stirring, 2 minutes. Add remaining ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 3 minutes. Add nuts; simmer, uncovered, 5 minutes.
Place carrots, cauliflower and peas in large bowl with cucumber, lettuce, sprouts and coriander; toss gently. Serve salad drizzled with peanut sauce.


You may well end up with extra sauce, so make sure you have some noodles for lunch later in the week, if you can resist the urge to eat the sauce straight from the bowl!
Gong Hei Fat Choi everybody.