Sesame Seaweed Salad – My first Recipe ReDux Post!

This month I took the plunge and joined Recipe ReDux, a blogger recipe group started by dietitians Regan Jones, Serena Ball and Deanna Segrave-Daly for dietitians and other health conscious bloggers to come together and create recipes for a monthly challenge featuring specified foods/ingredients/themes. I have enjoyed checking out past challenges because the recipes submitted by these very talented group of “ReDuxers” are not only healthy but very creative as well. I decided that though a bit intimidating, joining this group would expand my culinary boundaries and encourage me to develop recipes using a wider variety of healthy and delicious foods, that I may or may not have tried before. Well, this is my first challenge and it has done just that! May’s theme was to use little fishes (sardines, anchovies etc) or sea veggies like kelp or seaweed, NONE or which I have ever cooked with, nor tried except for seaweed. I have enjoyed seaweed salad ever since I was introduced to it by my husband on our first date at a sushi restaurant years ago. The seaweed salads that I have consumed at various sushi restaurants in the past have been delicious yet very basic. They are usually scant with ingredients, almost like a condiment, containing primarily seaweed and the dressing. I decided that I wanted to create a heartier seaweed salad of sorts, using the seaweed as a back drop studded with a variety of salad ingredients like cucumbers, carrots and even edamame. I did stay somewhat traditional with the dressing and added sesame seeds for a double sesame kick. The result is a seaweed salad that is a bold side rather than a mere accompaniment and that can even be made a meal with the addition of some fish, chicken or tofu on top. Check out the salad recipe as well as the awesome recipes from the recipe ReDux clan below.

Ingredients:

 2 cups re-hydrated wakame seaweed (start out with about ½ cup dry)
½ cup chopped cucumber (I used the Persian variety)
½ cup finely shredded carrot (a julienne peeler works great)
½ cup cooked and shelled edamame
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
2 tablespoons sesame oil
¼ cup seasoned rice vinegar
1 teaspoon low sodium soy sauce (use a gluten-free brand such as San-J if you are on a gluten free diet)
½ teaspoon brown sugar a dash or two of red pepper flakes (optional)

Directions:

Rehydrate and soften the seaweed by soaking it in cold water for about 3-5 minutes, then rinse and pat dry. Toss the seaweed, cucumber, carrots, edamame and sesame seeds in a medium bowl. In a small bowl whisk together the sesame oil, rice vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar and red pepper flakes. Then add this dressing to the bowl with the seaweed salad and toss until even coated . Chill if not serving immediately

Makes about 3 cups, 6 servings

Serving size: ½ cup Calories 80 Protein 3 g Carb 6 g Fiber 1 g Sugars 3 g Fat 6 g Saturated fat 0.5 g Sodium 310 mg