Cucumber Salad with Spicy Thai Salad
These are very hot little firecrackers from the orient. They can be used to add spice to almost any oriental dish. They dry very easily and can be stored and used this way for a long time.
Ingredients
2 large cucumbers, very thinly sliced
½ orange bell pepper, finely diced
1/3 cup rice vinegar
1 teaspoon maple syrup
2 teaspoons sesame oil
2 tablespoons cilantro, finely chopped
2 tablespoons scallions, finely chopped
2 red Thai chiles*, finely chopped
2 clove garlic, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon ginger, grated
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
Salt & pepper, to taste
Instructions
In a small bowl, whisk together rice vinegar, maple syrup, and sesame oil. Add chopped cilantro, scallions, chiles, garlic, and grated ginger. Set aside.
Slice the cucumbers using a mandolin** on the 1/16th of an inch setting. In a large bowl, toss the cucumber slices and the diced bell pepper. Pour the dressing over the vegetables and toss to coat. Sprinkle the salad with sesame seeds, add salt and pepper to taste, and serve immediately.***
*This gives the salad a fair bit of heat. If you want it less spicy, use only one pepper and/or remove the seeds.
**A mandolin is not absolutely necessary, but the thin slices create a nice texture. If you do not have a mandolin, slice with a knife as thinly as possible.
*** This salad is best eaten right away. It will keep fine for a few days in the fridge, but it will quickly become watery.
From themakermakes.com