July 16, 2011: Spinach-Noodle Salad

Here’s a simple, light, healthy and tasty cold salad for a hot summer day.

Spinach-Noodle Salad:

Take 1 bag (10 oz.) of fresh spinach, wash and de-stem. Boil in about 3 Qts. H2O for about 2 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon but keep H2O. Immediately put spinach in cold H2O to arrest cooking. Drain and squeeze H2O out of spinach and chill. While spinach is cooling, boil 10oz. wheat or soba noodle in the H2O for about 4 minutes. Immediately immerse in cold H2O to arrest cooking. Drain. Add 1 Tblsp. Olive oil to drained noodles. Add spinach to noodles. Matchstick two carrots and add to spinach/noodles and mix. Chill for about 1 hour. While salad is chilling make dressing.

Dressing: 3 Tblsp. Olive Oil+ 2 Tblsp. Rice Vinegar+2 Tblsp. Shoyu (soy sauce)+1 Tblsp. Mirin.

Mix dressing well and add just before serving. Top with Furikake or toasted sesame seeds.