Kieran Jorgenson

Salad

Sesame dressing:

1/8 cup rice wine vinegar

1 shallot clove, quartered

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

2 teaspoons tahini or peanut butter

1 tablespoon sesame seeds

1/2 cup sesame oil

Salad:

6 cups mixed mesclun greens, soaked in salt water to remove grit, dried in a salad spinner and torn into bite sized pieces

1 cup baby corn from a jar or can

1 (8-ounce) can Mandarin orange segments, drained

1 red bell pepper, stem and seeds removed and sliced julienne

1 (4-ounce) can water chestnuts, rinsed to remove any tinny taste

1 cup grape tomatoes, halved

For the dressing:

Directions

Add 1 at a time through the feed tube of a running blender, vinegar, shallot, salt, pepper, tahini, and sesame seeds. Leaving the blender running add the oil in a slow thin stream. Set aside briefly.

Toss greens, corn, orange, bell pepper, water chestnuts, and tomatoes together in a large bowl with enough dressing to coat. Serve with additional dressing on the side.

Stir fry

Original recipe makes 6 servings

 2 cups brown rice

 4 cups water

 2/3 cup low sodium soy sauce

 1 tablespoon cornstarch

 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger

 1 tablespoon minced garlic

 3 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, thinly sliced

 2 tablespoon sesame oil

 1 green bell pepper, cut into matchsticks

 1 head broccoli, broken into florets

 1 cup sliced carrots

 1 green onion, cut into large chunks

Directions

Bring rice and water to a boil in a saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until rice is tender, and liquid has been absorbed, 20 to 25 minutes.

Combine soy sauce, sesame oil, green onion, and cornstarch in a small bowl; stir until smooth.

Mix ginger and garlic into sauce; coat chicken with marinade and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.

Heat 1 tablespoon sesame oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir bell pepper, water chestnuts, broccoli, carrots, and onion until just tender, about 5 minutes. Remove vegetables from skillet and keep warm.

Remove chicken from marinade, reserving liquid. Heat 1 tablespoon sesame oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir chicken until slightly pink on the inside, about 2 minutes per side; return vegetables and reserved marinade to skillet. Bring to a boil; cook and stir until chicken is longer pink in the middle and vegetables are tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Serve over rice.

Spring rolls

Ingredients:

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 ginger, grated

2 green onions, sliced into matchstick pieces

1 red chili, minced, OR 1/2 to 1 tsp. cayenne pepper (omit if you prefer very mild spring rolls)

1/2 cup shredded or finely chopped cabbage

1/2 cup shredded carrots

1/2 cup fresh basil, roughly chopped

2 Tbsp. oil, plus more for deep-frying

1 pkg. spring roll wrappers (thawed if frozen)

Mix all ingredients, wrap in wrappers, deep fry, let cool