Watermelon Salad

This salad is amazing!! Perfect for a hot summer day! Sweet, crunchy, salty and umami from the miso dressing.

Watermelon – 3/4 inch diced: 1 pint

English cucumber – thin half-moons: a few slices

Couple grinds of black pepper

A few sprigs of mint, chopped

2 tbsp sunflower seeds

1/4 c Feta, crumbled

1 tsp alleppo or red chilli flakes

Miso dressing https://cookinwithchris.wordpress.com/2021/08/12/miso-dressing/dressing

Directions:
Toss all ingredients together leaving out the mint and sunflower seeds. Place in a serving bowl and top with sunflower seeds and mint leaves.

Advertisement

Miso Dressing

This dressing is amazing!! Unami, sweet, a little spicy from the ginger! It lasts for weeks in the fridge. It makes a LOT of dressing.

1/3 c Miso paste
1/3 c Honey
1 tbsp Ginger
2 c Rice vinegar
3 c grape seed or neutral oil
1 1/2 tbsp salt
1 tbsp Sesame oil

In a blender add miso paste, honey, vinegar, salt, and ginger together and blend. Slowly whisk in blended oil and sesame oil until emulsified.

Salmon Bowl

This is a yummy and healthy all in one dinner. It is a bit of work but well worth it.

• 2 c brown rice, cooked
• 12 oz spinach, lightly streamed
• 2 avocados, halved and sliced thin
• Pickled ginger
• Toasted sesame seeds
• Furikake

Poached Salmon

• 1 onion, halved
• 1 carrot, chopped into 4 pieces
• 1 celery stalk, cut into 4 pieces
• 1 bunch of parley, chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 Arbol Chile

• 2 lemons halved
• 1 lb skin on salmon

Combine all ingredients except lemon and salmon in a large pot with 6 cups of water, bring to a boil then simmer for 20 minutes.

Lay salmon in skin side down, add lemons and cook simmering for 8 – 12 minutes. Remove from skillet, allow to cool remove skin.

Miso Dressing

• 1/4 c sweet miso paste
• 1/4 c rice vinegar
• 2 tbsp mirin
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp salt

Whisk to combine.

To assemble bowls. Divide rice, spinach and avocado among plates, drizzle with miso. Top with salmon and sprinkle with sesame and furikake.

Serves 4.

Green Beans and Cucumber with Miso Dressing

The Miso really makes this dish magical. I served it with salmon bowl – so good.

Ingredients:
3 persian cucumbers
1 lb green beans, trimmed
1 inch piece ginger, grated
1 jalapeno, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/3 c rice vinegar
1/4 c white miso
1/4 c olive oil
1/2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

Lightly smash cucumber and beans with a rolling pin. Cut cucumber into bite size pieces and place in a bowl, toss with a pinch of salt and set aside.

Whisk together the ginger, garlic, vinegar, jalapeño, Miso, olive oil and sesame seeds. 

Drain cucumber, add beans to the bowl and toss to coat with the dressing. 

Serves 4.

Asparagus with Miso Butter

This one is from the NYT and it is delicious! The butter and white miso paste give this dish a wonderful flavor. Top with a poached egg and you can’t go wrong.

1 tbsp oil
1 pound asparagus, trimmed
1 bunch of garlic scapes
Salt and pepper
¼ c white miso
¼ c unsalted butter
1 tsp sherry vinegar
2 poached eggs

Preheat oven to 400.

Toss Asparagus and scapes with a olive oil and roast for 10 – 15 minutes until they start to brown, stir a couple times.

Meanwhile, over low heat in a small saucepan, warm and whisk together miso and butter, so they combine, and butter softens but does not melt. Whisk in vinegar and keep warm.

When asparagus is done, put some miso butter on bottom of serving plate, top  with Asparagus and a poached egg.

Serves 2.