Asian Dressing

Sauces or dressings are so-called depending on the type that became very popular in the dishes prepared by countries of the East. The Chinese have a variety of sauces to serve with their grilled, boiled, or steamed dishes. The Japanese often use their sauce for salads.  I have tried plenty of recipes and have used them in many dishes, and the results are great. I am Vietnamese; therefore, I combine some of my native recipes ingredients into the sauce. Having these dressings ready will save time when preparing a meal. Today, I am going to list a few recipes using these dressings or sauces. The sauces can be used for cooking, or as a dipping sauce, or for salads.

Japanese Ginger dressing recipe:

Ingredients:

1 cup white onions, sliced

1/4 cup fresh ginger, peeled and sliced

1 cup peanut oil or canola oil

1/2 cup white wine vinegar or distilled vinegar

1/4 cup ketchup

1/4 cup light soy sauce

2 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed

1 tbs salt

1 tbs black pepper

1/4 cup honey

Directions:

Place all the ingredients into a blender and blend well.  Adjust the taste to your liking. Pour the dressing into a glass jar with lid and store in the refrigerator.

Ginger, Cilantro and scallion dressing recipe:

Ingredients:

1/2 cup medium green spring onions, cut in 2-inch slices.

⅓ cup fresh ginger (scrubbed clean, and cut ⅛ to ¼ inch coins)

1cups cilantro (cut into roughly 2 to 3 inch lengths and tightly packed stems and leaves) 

1/4 cup of mint leaves

1/4 cup rice vinegar

1/4 cup sesame oil

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon ground coriander

2 small garlic cloves

1 tsp salt

1/3 cup peanut, sunflower, avocado, safflower, corn, vegetable, canola, or grape seed oil

Instructions:

Place all the ingredients except the oil into the bowl of a food processor or Vitamins® blender. Process until everything is finely puréed, stopping occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl several times until there are no visible chunks or stems.

Transfer the mixture into a bowl or glass jar and add the oil, stirring well with a whisk or fork until the oil is fully incorporated. Taste and add more salt, if needed.

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator when not in use where it will keep well for 4-5 days.

Use the two sauces above to spoon over salmon, cod, halibut, scallops, chicken, shrimp, beef, tofu, or any protein dish!

Stir a spoonful into roasted veggies as they come out of the oven.

Serve on a side dish.