Celery Sesame And Tofu Salad Recipes

Steps:

• Heat oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat; when it simmers, add ginger, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, cumin, star anise, Sichuan peppercorns, and chili flakes. Remove from heat and let sit until cool, at least 1 hour and preferably 2 or 3. Strain oil into a bowl or jar and discard spices.
• Put a pot of salted water over high heat and bring to a boil. Add celery and blanch for about a minute; drain in colander and run under cold water to stop the cooking process.
• Layer celery and tofu on serving plates, drizzle with chili oil and sprinkle with salt.

Steps:

• Rinse tofu and pat dry, then cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Arrange slices in 1 layer on a triple thickness of paper towels, then cover with another triple thickness of paper towels. Put a small baking sheet on top of tofu and weight with 3 (1-lb) cans (this removes excess moisture), 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, whisk together oils, vinegar, soy sauce, and pepper in a large bowl. Trim celery, then peel with a vegetable peeler and slice very thin diagonally. Cut tofu crosswise into 1/4-inch-wide sticks and transfer to a bowl. Toss gently with dressing, celery, sesame seeds, and salt to taste.

Steps:

• To make the dressing: Put the soy sauce, vinegar, ginger, brown sugar, sesame oil, red pepper flakes, garlic and 2/3 cup of the olive oil into a blender. Blend until completely emulsified. Taste the dressing and adjust to your taste, adding more vinegar or sugar as needed. Pour half of the dressing into a jar and refrigerate for the salad.
• Put the tofu cubes into a bowl and pour over the remaining dressing. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour.
• Remove the tofu from the dressing and pat dry. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the tofu on all sides until nicely browned and crisp, about 10 minutes. Toss in the sesame seeds and cook for another minute. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate.
• To assemble the salad, put the mixed greens, halved tomatoes and sliced onion in a large bowl. Pour on half the remaining dressing, reserving the rest for later use. Toss to coat. Arrange the tofu and mandarin oranges all over the greens. Serve immediately.

Steps:

• To de-string the celery, make a small cut into the outer base end of the celery stalk, no more than ⅛-inch deep, and pull along the length of the stalk. If it's a wide stalk, repeat, working around the outer edge, until no more strings are released. Using a mandoline, cut the celery and mushrooms into paper-thin shavings. In a large bowl, combine the celery and mushrooms and toss with the lemon juice, vinegar, and ½ teaspoon kosher salt and let stand for 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, stir together the tahini and about 2 tablespoons water in a small bowl until smooth. Don't fret if it looks dry and lumpy; just keep stirring. The consistency should be about that of whipped cream cheese; adjust as needed by adding a bit more water or a bit more tahini. Season with a pinch of kosher salt, then using the back of a spoon, smear the mixture over your serving platter or bowl or divide it among 4 salad plates.
• Add the olive oil and parsley to the mushrooms and gently toss to combine, then pile on top of the tahini. Sprinkle with a few pinches of flaky salt and a few grinds of black pepper.
• Serve immediately, making sure to scrape up the tahini smear along with the mushroom-celery salad. Eat within an hour or so, as the mushrooms start releasing liquid as the salad sits.

Steps:

• Heat oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat; when it simmers, add ginger, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, cumin, star anise, Sichuan peppercorns and chili flakes. Remove from heat and let sit until cool, at least 1 hour and preferably 2 or 3. Strain oil into a bowl or jar and discard spices.
• Put a pot of salted water over high heat and bring to a boil. Add celery and blanch for about a minute; drain in colander and run under cold water to stop the cooking process.
• Layer celery and tofu on serving plates, drizzle with chili oil and sprinkle with salt.