Appetizing Ribbon Salad - Salad Week # 2

Recipe created in July 2011

I admit, I didn't do a good job making ribbons. In a rush for dinner and photography, LOL!

This salad is beautiful when eaten with a cloying meal, because of the sourish and spicy dressing.
I prefer to pickle the onions in the dressing so that the flavour will mellow and be less pungent, but I like the pungency of onions, but it's definitely more pleasant when pickled.

If you don't have any toasted peanuts on hand, there's no need to crank up the oven to toast just some. I put some oil into my wok, heat it on medium low, and put in 2 Tbsp of peanuts(no skin), slowly frying them until the surface takes on a beautiful beige colour. Drain the peanuts on paper towels and then crush them with a mortar.

Dress the salad just before serving, because if not, you will see them softening right before you eyes. They will look wilted, but still taste crunchy.

Appetizing Ribbon Salad

Recipe source: Wendyywy

2 japanese cucumbers
1 long slim carrot, peeled
1 red onion
4 calamansi limes (mine were rather big, use more if yours are smaller)
1.5-2 Tbsp sugar
1/3 tsp salt
2 bird’s eye chilli, thinly sliced
2 heaped Tbsp crushed toasted peanuts

1. Slice cucumber and carrots lengthwise using a vegetable peeler.
2. Soak cucumber and carrot ribbons in iced water for at least 30 minutes. (You can do this few hours in advance and soak the ribbons in water and chill it)
3. Prepare dressing. Juice calamansi limes, discard seeds. Put in salt and add in 1 Tbsp of sugar. Mix and taste, adding more sugar as you adjust the taste.
4. Add in bird’s eye chilli.
5. Slice onions and toss them in the dressing. Leave it until it’s almost time to serve.
6. 10 minutes before serving, drain ribbons and shake them in colander to remove excess water.
7. Just before serving, toss ribbons with half the peanuts and the onions and dressing.
8. Sprinkle with balance of peanuts.