Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Get out the Chopsticks!

We love to have a big bowl of cold Asian Salad for dinner.  The ingredients vary from time to time, depending on what is in the fridge, but part of the enjoyment is seeing what combinations we can come up with.  This is more of a method than an actual recipe.

For 2 servings, I use about 4 cups of raw, chopped and shredded vegetables, 4 ounces of protein, about 2 cups of cooked noodles, and 1/2 cup of  Hoisin Sauce Salad Dressing.

Sometimes I sprinkle a few nuts on the top... cashews, peanuts, or even slivered almonds work very nicely and add flavor and even more crunch.


I like to have a variety of colors and textures so I use such things as shredded cabbage, colorful bell peppers, onions, carrots, zucchini, snow peas, broccoli, celery, water chestnuts... anything that is crunchy and colorful.  I usually chop some and shred some.

For the protein, I normally use pork, or chicken, or prawns, but chunks of tofu or shelled edamame would be nice, if you don't want meat.  The Kirkland canned chicken works very well in this dish, and thawed, frozen prawns, leftover pork tenderloin, or even roast beef are very handy and delicious, too.

I think that the best noodle shape for this dish is long and thin, such as spaghettini, baked ramen, soba noodles, or even rice noodles.   The Captain likes it broken up a bit so the pieces aren't too long to pick up with chop sticks.

This Hoisin Sauce Salad Dressing Recipe makes about 1/2 cup, and is just the right amount to cover 2 large dinner salads.  It was given to me by a Weight Watchers buddy some time ago, and we enjoy it often.

Hoisin Sauce Salad Dressing
For 2 servings
  • 3 Tbs hoisin sauce
  • 3 Tbs rice vinegar
  • 2 tsp sesame oil
  • 1 tsp honey or sugar
  • 1 tsp soy sauce
  • 2 tsp fresh ginger, grated
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced 
  1. Mix all ingredients in small bowl and set aside.
Per serving.
Weight Watchers P+ = 2.
Calories 80; Protein 1g; Carbohydrate 18g; Fat g; Fibre g.

Todaty, for 2 dinner salads, I used the following ingredients:

  • 2 bunches baby bok choy, roughly sliced
  • 1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 large carrot, shredded
  • 1/2 cup onion, chopped
  • 10 snow peas, cut into 1-inch lengths
  • 1/2 small green zucchini, chopped
  • 8 ounces cooked chicken breast, chopped roughly
  • 2 cups cooked ramen-style noodles
  • 1/2 cup Hoisin Sauce Salad Dressing
  1. Place all the vegetables, noodles and chicken in a large bowl.  Stir to blend.
  2. Pour the dressing over the top and blend well.
  3. Divide and serve in 2 bowls or on large plates. 
Don't forget the chopsticks.

The Weight Watchers P+ value of your dinner is going to depend on the protein and noodles you choose.  I estimate it will be about 10 P+, including the dressing.


I used to peel and chop ginger root before The Captain found this tiny grater.  It does a great job and fits nicely into a drawer.


The veggies are mixed.


 All ready to go.  Where are those chopsticks?

1 comment:

  1. Elle this looks amazing! :) I love cold Asian salads especially ginger-y ones mmm mmm! :)

    ReplyDelete

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