PERTH PEPPER AND PESTLE 
SALADS AND DRESSINGS

This page contains recipes for:
Hunan Black Bean Dipping Sauce Fabulous Anytime Tofu
Sushi Salad with Wasabi Ginger Dressing I (unbelievably awesome!!)
Smoked Gruyere and Apple Salad with Cranberry Maple Merlot Dressing
                                                                                                 ...enjoy the scroll!!

 
Hunan Black Bean Dipping Sauce Fabulous Anytime Tofu

1 block firm/extra firm tofu	1 jar Hunan Black Bean Dipping Sauce
Oil and Butter	Toasted Sesame Seeds
Sesame Oil	Green Onion, Cilantro, Basil

This recipe will become a staple in your refrigerator, either as a snack or as a "ready" ingredient to add to stir fry, salads and even to sandwiches.... let alone a favourite nibbly appetizer!!

Slice a block of firm/extra firm tofu lengthwise into slices that are less that 1/2" thick (about 5 per block).  In a skillet, add a little oil/butter to which you have added some seasoning for flavour - remember that tofu is a suberb vehicle to absorb flavour.  Pan fry for just a few minutes, until it is golden brown.  DO NOT OVERCOOK (too long or too high) or it will toughen.  Remove tofu from the skillet and cut into serving pieces, the more interesting the shape, the more appealing it will be (ie. in bite-size triangles).  Cut into 1" strips is a convenient size for pita pocket sandwiches or salads.

Meanwhile, add a jar of PERTH PEPPER AND PESTLE Hunan Black Bean Dipping Sauce and heat to a low simmer.  Add the cooked tofu to the jelly and gently poach very briefly.  Remove from the heat and allow the tofu to marinade in the Dipping Sauce until ready to serve OR refrigerate until 1 hour before serving.  Flavours are at their peak if tofu is served at room temperature or slightly warmer.

Be sure to try this recipe with our other flavours of Red Pepper Jelly for an interesting change...

• For THAI BASIL or THAI MANGO:  use Thai oils, fresh mint, crushed peanuts, bird's eye peppers (these are hot!!!), Hoisin Sauce, fresh cilantro/coriander.
• For CURRY:  use butter to pan fry and add fresh chopped cilantro and/or fresh basil.  Poach in our Spicy Bombay Red Pepper Jelly and top with toasted pecans, ribbon coconut and mango.

Sushi Salad with Wasabi Ginger Dressing

6 cups cooked Sushi sticky rice (room temp)	1 cup crab (imitation)
1/2 jar Wasabi Ginger Red Pepper Jelly	2 tbsp Mayonnaise
6 sheets Nori seaweed, cut in small pieces (easiest to cut with scissors)	2 tbsp Light Soya Sauce (Japanese)
1 tbsp Rice Wine Vinegar (optional)	2 tbsp Sesame Seeds (toasted)
1/4 cup Pickled ginger, cut into slim strips	Red Caviar
1/2 Cucumber (slim strips)	Nori, very finely grated
1/2 Carrot (ribboned with a zester)	Freshly prepared Wasabi (optional)
1/2 Avocado (thin slices)

Allow rice to cool at room temperature.  Do not refrigerate to hasten the cooling process.  Melt the jelly in a medium bowl and add the rice wine vinegar.  Then add the pieces of Nori to the melted jelly.  This will re-hydrate the Nori and keep the pieces from clumping.  Now add the hydrated Nori to the cooled sticky rice.  Toss lightly.  It is very important with this salad to toss only as is necessary to lightly blend.

Next add the ginger, cucumber, carrot, avocado, mayonnaise, and crab to the rice, sprinkle the soya sauce... if desired, spread a light coating of Wasabi over the rice and toss lightly.  DO NOT OVER MIX.  It is okay if it is inconsistent.

Serving options:

• If you are interested in serving this salad as a cut shape, empty salad onto a flat cutting board and pat down (condense) to about 1/2" to 1" high.  Cover well with saran and allow to cool in the refrigerator at this time.  Once cooled, use cookie shapes to punch out your pieces.
• If you are interested in serving neat mounds, scoop salad into the bottom of narrow tea cups and pat down to condense.  Then cover with saran and cool in the refrigerator til ready.
• or pat the salad down into the bowl it was prepared in, cover with saran and allow to cool completely, in the refrigerator.  Once cooled, this salad can then be scooped onto small plates using an ice cream scoop.
• or use lightly oiled, short, tin cans as a form,...fill, cover, then cool.  When cool, simply pop them out onto cucumber slices or rice crackers.

To decorate:  there are many possibilities here.  Of course, it will depend on the rest of the menu, which one(s) to use:

• use short wisps of chive
• or sprinkle with sesame seed, red caviar, fine Nori, and a fresh dab of Wasabi

Smoked Gruyere and Apple Salad
with Cranberry Maple Merlot Dressing

2 cups Mesculin Mix	4 tbsp toasted walnuts or pecans
1 cup smoked gruyere cheese, cut in strips	4 tbsp crumbled bacon
1/2 cup mini croutons	1/2 cup chopped delicious Red Apples

Cranberry Maple Merlot Dressing:

1/2 cup oil	1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/4 cup red wine vinegar	3-4 tbsp Cranberry Maple Merlot Gourmet Sauce

Toss salad, and just before serving, add dressing. 

Variation:  Instead of Gruyere cheese, why not try Fontina, Havarti, even Danish Blue Cheese)