This is such a killer combination, I just can’t stop eating eat! You can switch out the protein between shrimp and chicken, (if you want a meatless option, use sauteed tempeh, or chickpea patties seared off and then crumbled on top). This salad takes minutes to prepare, I only use one bowl and a sauté pan, so it’s not messy, and when I made this last night, my vegetarian room-mate asked me to make this easy dressing for her own salad, it was just so good…
what you need
for the dressing
2 tsp olive oil
2 tsp toasted sesame oil
2 tsp rice vinegar
1 tsp honey
salt
for the salad
2-3 cups chinese cabbage, thinly sliced
1/2 fuji apple, cut into matchsticks
2 – 3 ounces prawn
olive oil
1.5 Tablespoon raw cashews cut into pieces
1/4 c cold soba noodles
splash rice vinegar
salt
1/2 small lime
I make the dressing directly into the bowl, putting all the ingredients in together and mixing them quickly with a fork. The lime I reserve for the end, to squeeze on top of everything. Put some olive oil in a saucepan over med-high heat, and when it starts to shimmer, (about 1 min) add the prawn with a sprinkle of salt, and cook them off until they turn pink in color, about 2 minutes, depending on the size of your prawn. Turn them once or twice while they’re cooking, but make sure you let them sear (get a nice golden crust). When they are done, remove from the pan and let cool down a little bit. Meanwhile, chiffonade the cabbage, (cut into thin strips) and add to the bowl. Halve the apple, cut it into thin planks, and cut those into matchsticks, and add them in as well. (If you are making this ahead of time, you will have to put the apple in some water with a little bit of lemon juice or else it will brown.) Rough chop the cashews, and toss everything together in the bowl, (I just use my hand). By this time the prawn have cooled off, so cut those up into smaller pieces and add these on top of the salad. The soba noodles should be cooked ahead of time, (I like to keep a small container on hand when I am on a high carb rotation, as I make a couple of dishes on that day with them), so measure out a small handful, toss them in the saucepan that you cooked the prawn in to absorb some of the scraps of meat and flavor, splash some rice vinegar and a dash of salt on top, and add that to the plate as well. To finish, simply squeeze the lime juice over everything and voila, an irresistible high carb meal is made!
variations
If you want to substitute chicken or a vegetarian option like tempeh for the prawn, go ahead. Variety is important to maintaining a healthy balance nutritionally and also emotionally. You can also change which nuts you use, and if you’re on a low carb day, cut back on the apple to 1/4 or substitute some daikon radish if you really have to be tight. Last night I made this dish with pan-seared chicken, I added a splash of heavy coconut milk to the dressing, and some sunflower seeds and walnuts instead of cashews, and it was out of this world. I think tonight I will slice up a tiny bit of chili pepper and add to the mix as well…. Enjoy!
