Spicy Daikon Radish Salad (Daikon Achar)

Daikon is another pretty new vegetable for me.  I don't know if it's always been available in the stores (I suspect it has, at least for a long time, and I just walked right by it since I didn't know what it was).  I ruined it the first time I made it:)  The next time, I tried the Latke recipe by Marks Daily Apple.  Now, I'm hooked!  My mother-in-law was kind enough to introduce me one Nepali way of making the radish.  Quick, easy, and spicy.  Tastes even better if you are able to make it ahead or the next day.  This was made for a party held for my husband and myself while here in Nepal.  We bought the daikon down the street from a local vendor.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 3 Daikon radishes, peeled
• 2 carrots, peeled
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 small red onion
•  5 Tbs ground sesame seeds
• 1 tsp fresh ginger root, peeled
• 1-2 Tbs red pepper flakes, or to taste
• Fat of choice, to fry fenugreek (traditionally, you would use mustard oil)
• 1 tsp fenugreek
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder

Directions:

1. Shred daikon and carrots (the food processor makes quick work out of this, or you can use a hand shredder).  Place in a large bowl and add salt.  Mix together and then let sit for awhile (you could finish preparing dinner while this sits).  The salt helps release the excess water.
2. Squeeze out the water (you could use a dishtowl or I like to use my salad spinner or you can use your hands).
3. Dice red onion and ginger.  Add to the daikon/carrot mixture.
4. Heat a frying pan over medium-high heat (dry).  Lightly roast sesame seeds and add to the salad.
5. Add 1-2 Tbs red pepper flakes (2 Tbs if you like a good amount of spice).
6. Heat a little oil in a small frying pan (you want an oil that can handle high heat).  Add fenugreek and fry until black (it starts out a light brown).
7. Once the fenugreek has turned black. remove the pan from the heat and then add in the turmeric powder.  Stir together and add to salad mixture.
8. Stir well.  It's now ready to serve or you can put in the refrigerator for use later.

Part of Real Food Wednesday, Fight Back Friday, and Pennywise Platter.

Grandma's Beef Salad Salad

When I was growing up, we had a lot of beef roasts.  I don't really know why, but I think it was because the meat was fairly inexpensive and they didn't take a lot of on-hands cooking time (my grandma didn't really like to cook, although she always had dinner prepared for us.  Love you grandma!).  One of my favorite things was what she did with the leftover roast.  Basically, we had "beef salad sandwiches".  In other words, leftover beef, mixed with mayo, and onion, then spread on a sandwich and topped with lettuce and tomato.  If we had celery, pickles, and hard-boiled eggs, we might add that to the mixture.  Who knows why I liked it - certainly nothing special or fancy.  Anyway, today the idea came to me when thinking about what to do with the leftover roast from yesterday.  I remembered how my grandma made the beef salad, but swapped out the mayo with avocado.   I also stuffed the meat mixture into a tomato and served it on spinach. You could use many different ingredients and come up with the salad that fits your palate (and what you have in the 'fridge!).

Ingredients:

• Cooked meat, chopped (I used beef roast)
• Avocados
• Cayenne pepper (if I would have had a defrosted New Mexico green chile or jalapeno, I would have added that instead)
• Diced onion
• Tomatoes, insides removed (or, you could just slice the tomato on put on top of the salad)
• Spinach and/or other salad fixings

Directions:

1. Dice meat.
2. Dice onion.
3. Core tomatoes for stuffing (or slice).
4. Mash avocados until they are creamy.  Add cayenne pepper and diced onion.  Then add meat.
5. Stuff avocados with meat mixture.  Serve on a bed of spinach.