Orange Wakame Cucumber Salad + The Organic Cook’s Bible giveaway

Is it still salad season? I am loving the lingering warm weather, especially since it is no longer sweltering. I try to make it a daily goal to go for a walk with my baby every day. At least every weekday. At first, he was content with the stroller, but it can be hit-or-miss and result in a crying fit, so we’ve gravitated to wrapping. I never thought I’d be into hardcore babywearing. I knew I’d want to do some babywearing since skin-to-skin is so important, but my guy is a snuggle monster and loves to be wrapped. Or as Rob says, he demands to be snuggled. For now, I am delighted to oblige as I can still walk around and do simple things around the house.

Simple salads have been incredibly helpful these past few months. Mostly because I can start to make them and walk away without any problems (much like blog posts!) but it is also pretty simple to measure a dressing. I wouldn’t want to cook on a stovetop with him in front of me, but salads work well. 🙂

I am always interested in adding sea vegetables into my meals and this was a good way to eat wakame. The salad is mostly cucumber and orange segments since the wakame hid in the background. The dressing was refreshing with ginger juice and toasted sesame oil.

The recipe came from The Organic Cook’s Bible which was recently re-released and is a fabulous reference for all your fruit and vegetable needs. It also includes nuts, seeds, grains, herbs and spices. Each plant is highlighted  by its optimal seasonality, what to look for when buying it, how to prepare and use it. There are also recipes included (not necessarily vegan, just so you know).  I think this is an excellent companion to The Vegetarian Flavor Bible as it will expand how to pick the best produce. For those who enjoy gardening, it is also a neat resource from an eater’s perspective – specific varieties of produce are highlighted. Its listing are quite comprehensive. There are even varieties of kale that I haven’t tried yet, and I’ve grown quite a few! This would be a great purchase as an ebook to consult on the go.

Thankfully, the publisher allowed me to giveaway the book to a reader living in the United States or Canada. To be entered in the random draw for the book, please leave a comment below telling me about the ingredient you are most likely to buy organic. The winner will be selected at random on October 31, 2016. Good luck!

PS. I am sharing this with No Croutons Required and Healthy Vegan Fridays.

Wakame Orange Salad
Reprinted, with permission, from The Organic Cook’s Bible

Author’s note: This recipe is from Simone Parris, a private chef, who cooks for celebrities in the Los Angeles area. The celebs like to stay slim and healthy, and her dishes help them achieve both goals. This salad combines the sweet flavor of cucumbers and oranges with a salty matrix of seaweed and soy sauce and adds a spicy kick from the ginger and cayenne.

1 medium slicing cucumber
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon wakame flakes (purchased precut)
2 medium oranges
1/4 cup raw sesame seeds
1 piece fresh ginger, about the size of your thumb
1 teaspoon mirin (Japanese sweet rice wine) or maple syrup
2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons unseasoned rice vinegar
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
Dash of ground cayenne
Freshly ground black pepper
2 scallions, chopped fine (Janet’s note: omitted)

1. Peel stripes down the length of the cucumber, slice it in half lengthwise, then cut in half-rounds 1/8 inch thick. Place the cucumbers in a bowl with the sea salt and combine them. Place a plate on top of the cucumbers and a weight, such as a gallon jug of water, on the plate, and let sit for20 minutes. This procedure takes some of the water from the cucumbers and breaks down cell walls, making them easier to digest.

2. Soak the wakame flakes in enough water to cover until they’re soft, about 10 minutes, then squeeze out and discard the water.

3. With a sharp knife, cut the tops and bottoms from the oranges deeply enough to remove the white, then do the same all around the sides of the oranges. When all the white is removed, slice the orange into quarters, remove any seeds and the white core, and cut the quarters into ½-inch pieces.

4. Wash the sesame seeds in a fine mesh strainer and let drain. (Janet’s note – skipped that) Heat a small skillet over medium heat, add the sesame seeds, and toast, stirring continuously with a wooden spoon. If they start jumping around, the heat is too high. When you can easily crush a seed between your thumb and ring finger, the seeds are done. Be careful not to over-cook. As soon as they’re done, transfer them to a small bowl.

5. Grate the ginger until you have 1 heaping tablespoon; press the gratings by placing them in a soup spoon and pressing out the juice into a small dish with the back of a second spoon. You should extract about 1 teaspoon of juice.

6. Prepare the dressing by whisking together the ginger juice, mirin, soy sauce, vinegar, toasted sesame oil, cayenne, and black pepper.

7. Rinse and gently squeeze liquid out of the cu-cumbers and combine them with the oranges and wakame in a medium bowl. Toss with the dressing and garnish the top with a sprinkling of toasted sesame seeds and scallions.

Serves 3-4.

Reprinted with permission for the publisher.

Contest Rules: No purchase necessary. Contest period begins Saturday, October 8 2016 and ends Monday, October 31, 2016. For American and Canadian residents only. Approximate retail value US$24.99. Enter by writing a comment answering the prompt for a chance to win.  Entrants must supply a valid email address. Winners will be notified by email and must respond within 48 hours.