Still mired in the depths of winter (as promised we are not whining; this is simply a fact), Gourmandistan’s vegetable selections are sadly few as we wait for local spring.
We’re down to broccoli, broccolini and other things easily put in a backpack and walked up a long and still ice-slick drive. (Still fact! Not bitching!)
So we’ve done several grocery vegetable dinners, and we’ve once again turned to Harumi Kurihara’s simple sesame dressing.
Often called “The Martha Stewart of Japan,” Kurihara’s cookbooks have helped us find some tasty items for our occasional bento boxes. We slightly twisted her recipe for “Sesame Dressing,” which she claims in Harumi’s Japanese Home Cooking goes nicely with mixed salad or crudités.
We agree, but also think it goes great with baked tofu, cashews and roasted boring, store-bought broccolini over a bit of rice.
A little bite, a little heat, and a little sweet make this sauce something we use over and over again. Especially while we wait for spring.
SESAME DRESSING
(adapted from Harumi Kurihara’s Harumi’s Japanese Home Cooking)
- 2 TB white sesame seeds
- 2 TB sesame paste (tahini)
- 2 TB water
- 1 TB rice vinegar
- 1 TB soy sauce
- 1 TB sugar
- Salt
- Red pepper flakes
Toast sesame seeds in a dry skillet. Then, mash with a mortar and pestle or grind in a mini food processor. Place seeds, along with all other ingredients, in a glass jar and shake until thoroughly mixed.
Gourmandistan 
Beautiful ice photos. I’m gonna mail you some avocados.
Thanks, and please do! Maybe the UPS or FedEx driver could leave them sitting at the bottom of our snow/ice-covered driveway as the water delivery guy did recently on a single digit day. Yeah, it was nice of him to leave them in the snow right by the truck. I guess it didn’t occur to him that the truck was parked down there because we couldn’t drive the last quarter mile up to the house. (But, why else would the truck have been there? Duh.)
What coincidence! We went to a gyoza place tonight, where they served steamed spinach with a black sesame sauce (the gyoza was good too). And I was thinking I really want to try to recreate the sauce at home. I’ll start with this recipe and see how I go!
I look forward to hearing how you do!
Jody and Ken, There is nothing better than a self-prepared dressing, ready at a moment’s notice. By happenstance, I have every ingredient for this versatile, robust concoction! I could see it being drizzled over salad, rice or flaky, white cooked fish. Thank you for introducing Harumi Kurihara and I, as well. Beautiful photos and prose, as always! Best, Shanna
OOPS, I meant Steve and Michelle. For some reason, both of your blogs have the most amazing photos and a similiar layout – and I confuse the two. My fault! 🙂
I consider it the highest praise.
Ha! Now I really owe Michelle a bowl of fried olives. Ken
Sounds delicious and – surprise – reasonably good for you. Good luck with your weather. We’re getting it now, but that’s part of our local color. Ken
Don’t tell anybody, but we occasionally do eat healthy things. 😉
I won’t tell anyone as long as you quash the same rumor about us. 🙂 Ken
I’ve been waiting for life to slow down enough for me to read this on my computer, since I can see only the first line and picture on the mobile version of Reader. Finally, tonight was the night. I’ve been looking for a sesame dressing recipe that has a bit of kick, and here it is! I’m not bitching either, but I’m ready ready ready for some fresh spring lettuce. So ready. Cheers.
Spring cannot come soon enough. And, egads, it’s snowing AGAIN. Just when I saw some gravel peeking through on my driveway for the first time in nearly a month…
Portland was buried under snow last weekend (it doesn’t take much to shut this city down) and let me tell you, I’m still complaining! However as much as I loathe the cold, I love pretty winter pictures! And your ice pictures are just as pretty as your dinner. =)
Thanks! It has been (and is) pretty. I’ve been Instagram crazy this month. Hey, it’s boring here in the snow/ice and it passes the time. But Steve said he was “ready for this series to end”! And I can’t say I disagree. Hope PDX has warmed up!
I see this as a really excellent side dish! Love it
Thanks, Raymund! It’s a nice dressing. Good on a green salad, too.
ME WANT NOW!!!! I am making this tomorrow! Looks delicious!!!
Thanks, Daisy. It is quite tasty. Hope you’re keeping warm!
So simple & lovely, sesame dressing accounts for many of my favourite and inspired Asian foods! I must check out those books soon, my mum delays loves regional Asian recipes so it’s a perfect one for both our shelves 🙂
Mmmm…this dressing looks delicious.