Posted on: Wednesday, July 13, 2005
Keep it cool with greens
By Wanda A. Adams
Advertiser Food Editor
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COOL IDEAS FOR HOT DAYS
Japanese salad: Boil soba or somen noodles in the morning; drain and rinse well in cold water. Chill while you\'re at work. When you get home, toss with a dressing of 3 tablespoons mirin, 3 tablespoons low-sodium shoyu and 1 cup dashi and a handful of dried bonito flakes. Add any combination of chilled shrimp, fish cake, steamed or fresh snow peas, chopped fried egg, slivered green onions, water chestnuts, cucumber strips, grated ginger.
Korean summer soup: Slice
4 Asian eggplants into quarters lengthwise and microwave
7 minutes. Slice into small pieces, wrap in paper towel and squeeze out liquid. In a large bowl, combine eggplant with 2 tablespoons shoyu, 1 crushed and finely minced clove garlic, 1 tablespoon sake or vermouth, 1 tablespoon sesame oil, 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds, 3 tablespoons cider vinegar, 1 teaspoon of hot red pepper flakes. Toss well, then stir in 2 cups ice water, blending well. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
— Wanda A. Adams
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When the work day is long and the drive home hot, dinner had better be cool — and easy.
With a little advance prep on the weekend or before you leave for work, the fridge becomes your best friend and a salad — or something like it — sounds like dinner.
HERE'S HOW:
Get in some greens. Over the weekend, buy your preferred types of lettuce and other greens and then treat them to a long shelf life. As soon as you get home from the store, plunge the greens into a sink full of ice water (water with ice cubes literally floating in it), giving them a few minutes to get good and cold. Load the greens into a salad spinner (you really need one to make this work) and spin the greens until they're bone dry. Pack into zip plastic bags lined with paper towels, press out air, seal and store in chiller.
Also over the weekend, grill more chicken, pork or beef than you need and chill the leftovers in an airtight container. Or buy a rotisserie chicken and peel off the skin, or good deli roast beef.
Stock up on cucumbers, tomatoes and other vegetables, herbs, fruits, marinated artichoke hearts, nuts and garnishes that you like in a salad.
Steam grains and allow them to come to room temperature while you have a swim or water the yard. Break up the grains and toss with veggies and dressing for a filling salad.
Before you leave for work in the morning, boil up Italian pasta or Japanese soba or somen noodles, drain and toss with a little oil and refrigerate until you get home.
Another weekend idea: Blanch vegetables (beans, spinach, kale, kohlrabi, artichoke) until tender, then plunge into cold water to stop cooking. Roast root vegetables (beets, potatoes, carrots), peppers and onions in a drizzle of olive oil. Refrigerate for later use.
Canned beans are the nutritious, inexpensive centerpiece for a quick or cold meal. Stock up on different beans when they're on sale (Safeway had low-salt black and white beans, kidney beans and garbanzos on sale for $1 a can last week). Drain and rinse (to remove preservatives and extra salt). Toss with minced Maui onion or red onion, tomatoes or cucumbers and an oil-and-vinegar dressing. Or combine a mix of beans with taco seasoning, grated cheese and shredded lettuce and roll up in a tortilla. If you want something a bit more hearty, make the bean-vinaigrette salad above, top with dollops of goat cheese and serve over brown rice.
Chinese cold ginger chicken is especially appealing on a hot night. Pick up takeout at your favorite Chinese restaurant, or make it on the weekend and save it for Monday night's dinner. To make: Clean a whole chicken, pat dry and rub with salt inside and out. Refrigerate overnight. Simmer chicken in water to cover and 2 slices tangerine peel (go-pi), until done. Drain and chill, then cut into serving pieces. Combine and pulse in a food processor: 1 cup peeled, chopped ginger, 4-5 stalks chopped green onions, 3/4 cup vegetable oil, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, 2 teaspoons salt. Pour over chicken pieces.
Fish fillets or other seafood can be quickly poached, then served on a bed of greens or chilled pasta. Or open a can of good-quality tuna, the Phillips canned crab meat from Costco or a package of frozen shrimp. Another more filling but quick meal: leftover or canned seafood, some minced onion and parsley, a handful of dry bread crumbs (I like Progresso Italian-style) and a little mayonnaise. Form quickly into cakes, fry and serve on salad.
