SANDRA'S JAPANESE RESTAURANT-STYLE SALAD and DRESSING

This light and flavorful salad n' dressing tastes very similar to major Japanese
chain restaurants and pairs stupendously with Asian main dishes...

Prep: 15 Mins.
Servings: (6 to 8)

INGREDIENTS:

Dressing (Yields 1-1/2 cups):
1/2 cup finely chopped sweet white onion
1/2 cup canola oil
2 tablespoons water
2 teaspoons ground ginger (or 2 tablespoons freshly grated)
2 tablespoons minced celery
3 tablespoons ketchup
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
1/2 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Sandra's Restaurant-Style Japanese Salad Dressing
(Click for recipe)...

Salad:
1 bunch heart of romaine, sliced into 2-1/2" x 1/4" strips
1 carrot, shredded
3 celery ribs, thinly sliced on the diagonal

Garnish:
--Toasted sesame seeds

METHOD:

Add all dressing ingredients in order listed in blender.  Place lid on top, and blend on high speed for a minimum of 30 seconds, until dressing is smooth. Let dressing stand a minimum of 4 hours in refrigerator for flavors to meld before serving.

Add all salad ingredients to a medium glass bowl, and toss to combine. (I like to place the salad in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes to ensure it is cold prior to serving.)

When preparing individual servings of salad, top each with a light drizzle of dressing and a sprinkling of sesame seeds. ~ Enjoy!

SANDRA’S RESTAURANT-STYLE SALSA

This crazy-good salsa is so quick to put
together it's unbelievable...

Yields: (Appx. 6 cups)

Prep: 10 Mins.

INGREDIENTS

Salsa:

2 (14.4 oz. cans) mexican diced tomatoes, drained

1 jalapeno, roughly chopped (retain seeds and ribs if you like spicier salsa)

1 (4 oz. can) mild fire-roasted diced greed chiles, drained

4 roma tomatoes, de-seeded, juiced, and roughly chopped

½ yellow onion, roughly chopped

½ fresh lime juiced

1 teaspoon Sriracha sauce (again, more if you like it spicier, or your brand of hot sauce)

1/2 bunch of cilantro

Fine-grain kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

For scooping: 

-- Tostitos Artisan Roasted Garlic and Black Bean Tortilla Chips (found at Costco)

METHOD

Add all the salsa ingredients to the food process and pulse a couple times, until a consistent chunky consistency is achieved.  Taste, and adjust seasonings as necessary.  Add to a non-reactive glass or ceramic bowl, cover, and refrigerate for a minimum of two hours to allow flavors to meld. ~ Enjoy!

SANDRA'S EGG DROP SOUP - RESTAURANT STYLE

A very satisfying, quick, and easy
way to prepare egg drop soup...

Servings (4)

Posted by Sandra
Prep: 5 Mins. |
Cook:10 mins.

INGREDIENTS

· 5 cups chicken broth, divided
· 1/3 cup carrot, grated
· 1/3 cup frozen peas, thawed
· 1/3 cup cabbage, finely diced
· 2 green onions, finely sliced on the diagonal
· 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
· 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
· 1/4 teaspoon salt
· 1/8 teaspoon finely ground pepper
· 1-1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
· 4 eggs, beaten

METHOD

Reserve 3/4 cup of chicken broth, and pour the rest into a large saucepan, along with the carrots, peas, cabbage, green onions, and garlic powder. Stir the ginger, salt and pepper into the saucepan, and bring to a boil for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir together the remaining broth and cornstarch until smooth, and slowly add to soup while whisking (you can add more/less cornstarch to achieve your desired thickness, just mix it with a bit of liquid first).

In a small bowl, whisk the eggs using a fork. Reduce heat just until soup is still simmering, and while whisking in a clockwise motion very slowly drizzle the eggs to form ribbons (eggs will cook immediately). - Enjoy!