ISO: sesame-ginger viniagrette?

[JackieO]

Just came back from the farmers market with loads of fresh greens. DS has requested some type of Oriental chicken salad tonight, so the BSBs are marinating in teriyaki sauce.

Anyone have a triend-and-true sesame-ginger type viniagrette?

TIA!

[Canice]

I don't make it at home anymore since I always like The Ginger People's best, but you might find inspiration on this thread:

http://community.cookinglight.com/showthread.php?t=119384&highlight=annie%27s+salad+dressing

[JackieO]

Thanks, Canice!

I think I'm going to try this one that Stephanie (Gertdog) posted:

I also like this one from the Asian Chicken Salad in the June '08 CL- only change I made was to add black pepper to the dressing. I didn't make the salad from the recipe, just the dressing.

2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon finely minced fresh ginger (I grate it on a Microplane grater)
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
__________________

[JackieO]

I know I'm talking to myself, but the dressing was a huge hit!

I had a mixture of red and green leaf lettuce, some baby spinach, a few beet greens, a little Boston lettuce and some ice berg (for DS). I also had a small spring onion, some red bell pepper, shredded carrot, and a little cucumber for the veggies; some toasted won ton strips and mandarin oranges. I tossed the greens with the vinaigrette, added the extra veggies and tossed again, then topped with the won tons, oranges and sliced grilled chicken.

DS, who will turn 20 in August, said he didn't even mind the mix of exotic greens because the dressing was so good! WOW. THAT'S progress! :)

[Canice]

Glad that worked out (even with "exotic" lettuce ;)); I'll keep it in mind, since much as I love the Ginger People dressing, I don't always have it on hand.

[JackieO]

Glad that worked out (even with "exotic" lettuce ;));

This is a kid who, up until about a year ago, wouldn't touch anything other than iceberg. Now, he is pretty much in the opposite extreme, where he won't eat anything he deems "unhealthy," his default choice in restaurants is a grilled chicken breast sandwich with lettuce, tomato and no mayo. (But asks for BBQ sauce on the side.) Orders salad at Buffalo Wild Wings. Back at home, he wants me to make WW pasta, turkey chili (when I told him today that the ground turkey I buy is 93 percent lean, and we can buy ground sirloin or ground round for the same fat content, he was amazed. I bought some 93 percent ground round today and he's really looking forward to beef chili tomorrow, despite it being in the high 80s with high humidity. :rolleyes:)

[Canice]

Wow, what precipitated the turnaround? If he's only 20 now, that's a great age to become so serious about diet.

BTW, your post got the idea of Asian-inspired salads into my pea brain (see, I said on the tuna melt thread that I'm totally susceptible to food cravings) but I didn't want something that couldn't stick around, so I made the dressing from Tyler Florence's sesame noodles, and bought some green and red cabbage and other slaw fixin's thinking I can make either pasta or cabbage and have it work with that. The thing I needed most at the store didn't make it into my bag, so I'm heading back in a minute. Think I'll pick up some chicken for Johnny's yogurt marinade, so I can have that with either the noodles or slaw.

Yogurt marinade with Asian flavoring:

8 chicken thighs, skin off but bone in
1 big fat green onion or 2-3 small ones
1 inch ginger
1 tsp soy sauce or miso
1 cup plain yogurt w/live cultures
1 tsp sesame oil

Blitz the marinade with a hand blender until smooth. Coat chicken, and leave in the fridge overnight.
Grill (broil) under a hot grill for 20 mins, turning once after 15 mins.

If you use skin on thighs, grill skin side down first, then skin side up second to leave a nice crispy skin.

Serve with stir-fried veggies and wholewheat noodles