Day 41, Shanghai Tofu&Cashew Salad

I love the sesame taste and crunchy texture of this salad

Let's just say that I've had a very busy week and I just can't bring my self to write more right now. We can assume that I'm tired and after arriving in Shanghai and eating I checked it at the hotel and went directly to bed. I will write the story of this recipe tomorrow. Until then enjoy the picture and maybe you already spot some of the ingredients.

Later edit:

I tried the salad today and I believe it's event better than yesterday. I think this is one of those dishes that you can prepare a few hours before serving it so that the flavours have time to mix and the spices kick in.


The recipe that serves 4 is quite easy (as I've noticed almost all Asian dishes are quick to make) and it goes like this:
1 package (about 1lb) medium-firm tofu, 1lb of fresh soy beans sprouts, 1 cup rice-vinegar, 2 tb sesame oil, 1 tb dark soy sauce all of which you can buy at an Asian supermarket should you have one nearby.You would also need 1 pound of shredded fresh carrots, 2 small onions, some chives (you can use spring onions instead), salted peanuts or cashews (I like cashews better because they are softer) and 1 half of a fresh cucumber. For the dressing make sure you have 2 tb sunflower oil, 2 tb sugar at hand. For decoration I used coriander.

Start by taking the tofu out of the package to drain the brine. Cut it in 1 inch long pieces which you place on a paper towel and gently press it to get even more brine out of it. With a brush lightly oil the tofu and place it on a pan then shove it in the oven for about 20 minutes at medium heat. It only needs to get a bit brown and then you can take it out and let it cool on a wire rack.

While the tofu is baking you can prepare the veggies by boiling the soy sprouts for 1-2 minutes together with the carrots. You want to cook the vegetables but still keep their crunchiness. If they come out soft, you over did it. Once they are done, let cool and drain the water very well. The cucumber just needs to be cut, say finger lenght and not too coarse but not too fine either. If you put one to stand it should be able to stand for a few seconds on its own.


I guess the final touch would be to mix all together. I put the vegetables first and mixed them all with the dressing then added the tofu. I am new to tofu but one thing is for sure: I love it! This was a successful experiment for me but I wonder if there are other Tofu enthusiasts among my friends.

To top all off, since a salad, let's face it can't really make you feel like you've had a decent dinner I bought some interesting Asian sweet called Husband cake. It pastry filled with a mix of melon and sesame seeds. Altough I'm not a melon fan I am a sesame one and I have to admit the combination is quite nice. Plus the name is just LOL!

Click here if you want to find out more about Husband and Wife Cake