Brunei - Vegetable Salad

Vegetable Salad

Ingredients

-       1 c Cubed, firm tofu (1/2-in. -cubes

-       2 Stalks celery, cut into -julienne strips

-       2 Carrots, shredded

-       2 Italian plum tomatoes, cut -into thin wedges

-       1/2 Cucumber, thinly sliced

-       1 c Fresh bean sprouts

-       1 c Broccoli florets

-       1/2 c Szechuwan Peanut Dressing Garnish: raisins, toasted -sesame seeds, fresh -watercress sprigs, or -unsalted peanuts, optional -----DRESSING-----

-       1/3 c Peanut butter, smooth or -crunchy

-       1/2 c Hot vegetable stock or hot -water

-       1 t Soy sauce

-       2 tb Rice vinegar

-       2 tb Safflower oil

-       2 Cloves garlic, minced

-       1/2 ts Dry crushed red pepper (1 -teaspoon if you prefer -spicy flavoring

Directions

-       In a large bowl, gently toss together salad ingredients.

-       In a small bowl, combine dressing ingredients. Pour over salad and toss again.

-       Top with garnish.

-       Advance Preparation: Both salad ingredients and dressing may be prepared in advance and refrigerated. For best quality, toss together just before serving.

Hints:

-       To cook bean thread, immerse it in boiling water for about 10 minutes to soften. Drain, rinse with cool water, and cut into 3-inch strands.

-       For those concerned about complete protein, tofu, peanuts and sesame seeds complement one another to form a high-quality "complete" protein.