{"id":522900,"date":"2010-04-10T14:18:22","date_gmt":"2010-04-10T18:18:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.marksdailyapple.com\/?p=11949"},"modified":"2010-04-10T14:18:22","modified_gmt":"2010-04-10T18:18:22","slug":"thai-inspired-salad-of-awesome","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/522900","title":{"rendered":"Thai-Inspired Salad of Awesome"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"ThaiSalad\"Thai cuisine is known for harmonizing sweet, sour, pungent, salty and spicy flavors into dishes that burst with flavor. Unfortunately, many of the dishes on Thai restaurant menus in the U.S. are weighed down with vegetable oils and sugar, and served with heavy portions of rice and noodles. While we can\u2019t promise that Tara Gravenstine\u2019s \u201cThai-Inspired Salad of Awesome\u201d (submitted for the Reader-Created Cookbook Contest<\/a>) will demolish any last hankerings you have for Pad Thai, we can say that it will satisfy cravings for the complex flavors that make Thai food so addictive.<\/p>\n

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What really makes the flavor in this salad pop are three herbs easily found at any grocery store or farmers’ market: basil, mint and cilantro. Fresh herbs bring surprising flavor<\/a> to any type of salad, not just this one, and are an easy way to make your daily salad a little more interesting. In Tara\u2019s salad, the trio of basil, mint and cilantro is aromatic and refreshing and brightens the mild flavors of mung bean sprouts, bamboo shoots (or water chestnuts), avocado, snow peas and red pepper. Mango adds bright color and sweet flavor to the salad, but if you prefer tart to sweet, try using a firm, unripe mango instead. Unripe \u201cgreen\u201d mangoes are often used in Thai salads and can be sliced or grated.<\/p>\n

Tara\u2019s Thai-inspired dressing has all those delicious salty, sour, spicy flavors we mentioned earlier. A key ingredient is fish sauce, and while that might not sound appealing, fish sauce is one of those secret ingredients that heightens flavor in a good way. Many Asian dishes call for fish sauce and you should be able to find it at your local grocery store. Although most, if not all, brands have added salt and sugar, the sauce is used so sparingly in recipes (2 teaspoons in Tara\u2019s dressing) that the added sugar isn\u2019t much of a worry. In this dressing, the fish sauce is blended with lime juice, tamari and ginger, creating a lively, light dressing with a slightly spicy kick.<\/p>\n

We topped the salad with chopped, grilled chicken breast for protein, although thin slices of steak (hmm\u2026or maybe shrimp\u2026.) would be delicious, too. And, as Tara says, \u201csome grated coconut on top of the salad would not be amiss.\u201d<\/p>\n

Servings: 4-6
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Ingredients:<\/strong><\/p>\n

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