A supper of tuna tataki on a bed of different coloured seaweeds eaten at a small restaurant in Mallorca was a revelation. Having encountered nori, wakami and other seaweeds, these frilly green, pink and ivory fronds were intriguing. I assumed they were the proceeds of artful foraging from the surrounding bays, but later encountered bags of kaiso mix in a local deli and they are, in fact, Japanese in origin. While a mild disappointment in terms of terroir, the good news is you can find kaiso on Amazon.
But going back to that tataki with its sticky sweet and salty dressing, a nice slab of lightly seared meaty fish – tuna, salmon, or grilled prawns or scallops – would be just the ticket with this salad, which is rich in texture and flavour. This is a tad more dressing than you might require, with plenty of uses thereafter.
Serves 2
Ingredients:
Salad
- 8g dried kaiso mix seaweed
- 4 small tomatoes
- sea salt
- 1/4 cucumber, peeled and very finely sliced
- 1 large or 2 small avocados, halved and stoned
- 1 teaspoon finely sliced medium-hot red chilli
- 2 teaspoons sesame seeds
Dressing
- 1 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger
- 1 level tablespoon brown miso (e.g. barley or rice)
- 2 teaspoons sherry vinegar
- 2 tablespoons groundnut oil
Directions:
- Put the seaweed in a medium bowl, cover plentifully with cold water and soak for 20 minutes, then drain and spin dry in a salad spinner. Meanwhile, thinly slice the tomatoes, season with a little salt in a bowl and set aside for 15 minutes. Whisk all the ingredients for the dressing together, with 2 tablespoons of water, in a medium bowl.
- Combine the tomatoes and cucumber on a large plate and mix in the seaweed. Slice the avocado into long, fine strips in the skin, then use a dessertspoon to remove the slices in one go and arrange these in a pile in the middle of the salad. Drizzle over the dressing and scatter with chilli and sesame seeds.
Nutrition information:
188 energy kcal
6.6 carbohydrate g
5.6 sugars g
2.7 protein g
14.9 fat g
1.3 saturated fat g
0.7 salt g
Also from Low Carb Express:
Reprinted from Low Carb Express: Cut the Carbs with 130 Deliciously Healthy Recipes by Annie Bell, published by Kyle Books, 2018.
