Sesame Spinach Salad Recipe

Our new favorite spinach recipe. I've never seen Sam actually eat spinach until we made this. :-)

From my new favorite cookbook, Extending the Table:

Sesame Spinach Salad (Korea - from Pat Yoder, Goshen, IN)
Sigumchi Namul

This salad is typical of the way Koreans prepare and season cold vegetables. Tester found this to have a surprisingly wonderful flavor: "I hate spinach and just loved this!"

Steam until just tender and still green:

1 lb fresh spinach (500 g)

Strain and squeeze out as much water as possible. Cut spinach coarsely.

Place in serving bowl and add:

3 T. soy sauce (45 mL)
2 T. sesame oil (30 mL)
1 T. toasted sesame seeds (15 mL)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 T. sugar (15 mL)
1 T. vinegar (15 mL)
dash of black or ground red pepper, to taste

Mix, chill, and serve.


A few notes:
1. I used half the amount of sesame oil to cut down on fat, and it tasted fine.
2. I used rice vinegar.
3. I used the minced garlic out of the jar - easier.
4. You can buy toasted sesame seeds at most grocery stores in the international foods section.
5. I forgot all about the dash of pepper at the end. It was still good.
6. We steamed the spinach in the microwave. You could do it the old way, or blanch it, if you want it a little more "al dente."

:-) Enjoy!

Two silly kid quotes in one day

After a rather dry spell, we had two good kid quotes today.

Alex has been trying to learn some tongue twisters. After attempting "She sells seashells at the seashore" a few times, she stopped, then said, "You made...You made...You made my brain go all BLACK!" She was mad that I laughed, but I couldn't help it.

Later, Bryan and I were driving the kids home in separate cars. Sam was with Bryan, and Alex was with me. We were ahead of the boys for a while and Sam asked, "Where's mama?" Bryan told him, "She's ahead of us. She's driving faster than we are." Silence. Then Sam says, "You're NOT Lightning McQueen!"

:-)