*Sushi Salad* (serves 2 as a main dish, 4 as a side)
5 cups Romaine lettuce, torn into bite-sized pieces
1 cup shredded red or green Chinese cabbage
handful of arugula
handful of mung bean sprouts, coarsely chopped
1 cup carrots, julienned into matchsticks
1 small yellow pepper, julienned into matchsticks
3" piece of cucumber, cut into spears
several thin slices of red onion
2 T slivered sundried tomatoes (optional)
2 - 3 sheets toasted nori, torn into bite-sized pieces
1 cup snow peas, steamed
1 cup wild rice, cooked in broth
handful of sunflower seeds, toasted (optional)
1 cup dried shiitake mushrooms
(or 6 large fresh shiitake, sliced thinly, stems discarded)
dressing:
4 T extra virgin olive oil
(lowfat option: replace with broth, thickened a
little with nutritional yeast)
2 T fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 medium garlic clove, pressed
1 t umeboshi plum paste
1 t low-sodium tamari
dash of vegan worcestershire sauce
1/4 t powdered ginger
dash of cayenne
2 t sweetener of your choice (optional)
Place all ingredients in a bowl and whisk until blended.
assembly:
Soak the dried shiitake mushrooms in boiling water (enough to cover)
for 10 - 15 minutes, then drain. Squeeze the mushrooms a little to remove
the excess water, and then strain the reserved soaking liquid through a
cloth to remove the 'sand'. Saute the mushrooms in your choice of saute
liquid or oil, for two minutes, stirring and adding a bit of the reserved
soaking liquid to prevent scorching.
Place the greens and raw veggies in a bowl, drizzle about 2/3 of the
dressing on top, and toss to blend. Add the additions, bar the seeds and
shiitake, and toss well again. Survey the damage, and add additional
dressing (if required). Plate the salad, serving the shiitake and seeds
atop each portion.
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