Jillian Bonner's Sesame Snap Salad & Coconut Noodle Bowl

Sesame Snap Salad Ingredients:

•   1 cup mixed greens
•   2 cups romaine lettuce
•   ¼ avocado
•   ¼ cup red pepper
•   6 slices of mandarin oranges
•   ¼ cup shredded carrots
•   ¼ cup crunchy ramen noodles
•   1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
•   ¼ cup edamame
•   1/3 cup cherry tomatoes
•   2 tbsp sriracha cashews
•   3 tbsp Asian sesame dressing

Additional ingredients for the Sesame Snap Salad:

Sriracha Cashew Ingredients:

•   10 cups of raw, unsalted cashews
•   1 tbsp + 2 tsp sea salt
•   2.5 tsp cinnamon
•   2.5 tsp cumin
•   1 ¼ tsp paprika
•   ½ cup + 2 tbsp sriracha
•   ¾ cup maple syrup

Asian Sesame Dressing Ingredients:

•   ½ cup Tamari
•   ½ cup toasted sesame oil
•   2 cups rice wine vinegar
•   1 ½ cups olive oil
•   1 ½ cups maple syrup
•   ½ cup fresh ginger, chopped
•   2 cloves garlic, chopped or whole
•   2 tsp red pepper ﬂakes
•   4 tsp sea salt

Coconut Noodle Bowl Ingredients:

•   1 cup Soba noodles
•   ½ cup shredded cabbage
•   ¼ cup shredded carrot
•   ¼ cup cucumber
•   ¼ cup broccoli
•   ¼ cup tamari ginger tofu
•   Large pinch of cilantro
•   Large pinch of mint
•   ¼ avocado
•   2 tbsp sriracha cashews
•   2 tbsp plain coconut chips
•   2 tbsp sesame seeds

Tofu Ingredients:

•   1 cup tamari
•   2/3 sesame oil
•   1/3 cup rice vinegar

Additional Ingredients for the Coconut Noodle Bowl:

Cashew Coconut Thai Dressing Ingredients:

•   2 cups raw cashews (soaked)
•   ¼ cup lime juice
•   1 cup coconut milk
•   1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
•   1/3 cup maple syrup
•   1 tsp sriracha
•   ¼ cup Tamari
•   2 tbsp sriracha
•   2 tbsp red curry paste
•   2 tbsp grated ginger
•   ½ cup water

Sesame Salad Directions:

1.   Start by dicing and shredding the vegetables for the salad and set aside.
2.   Then you can start creating the dressings. For the Asian Sesame Dressing: Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. This is a liquid dressing, so blend on low to start and increase speed/power gradually. For the Cashew Coconut Thai Dressing: Soak cashews in hot water for 20 minutes. Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. (Should not have any nut chunks)
3.   Once both dressings have been made, place a cup of each dressing into one bowl and whisk together and set aside.
4.   You can now assemble the salad. Combine all the salad ingredients in a bowl. And add in 2 tbsp of the Asian Sesame Dressing to the salad and mix.

Coconut Noodle Bowl Directions:

5.   Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
6.   Drain tofu and squeeze out excess water with palms.
7.   Slice tofu into thirds lengthwise so there are 3 even slabs and slice through them lengthwise to make 3 even columns then slice across to make 5 even rows.
8.   Line the counter with lint-free clean towel (or paper towel) and arrange the tofu on a towel – wrap the towel around the tofu and press down to drain the tofu fully.
9.   Once chopped into cubes, you can start making the marinate. Combine the rest of the tofu ingredients in a bowl and whisk.
10. Pour the mixture on top of the tofu and place in the fridge for at least an hour (preferably overnight).
11. After it rests, place the tofu on a cooking tray and place in the oven. Bake for 30 minutes, ﬂip the tofu every 10 minutes.
12. When the tofu is done, you can start making the sriracha cashews. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a medium-sized baking sheet with parchment paper. Roast the cashews for 5 minutes. Remove and allow to cool slightly. In a bowl, mix the ingredients together. Add the roasted cashews to the mixture and sCr until they are well incorporated. Transfer the cashews to the baking sheet. Roast for 10-15 minutes, stirring the cashews every 5 minutes. Allow them to cool for 10 minutes before handling.
13.   Now to prepare the Soba noodles. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Then sCr in the soba noodles and cook for 4 minutes. Drain noodles with cold water.
14.   Coat drained noodles with a little bit of sesame oil to prevent sticking.
15.   Next, you can make the Coconut Noodle Bowl. Coat drained noodles with a little bit of sesame oil to prevent sticking.

Plating:

1.   Place some of the noodles into a bowl or onto a plate.
2.   Using tongs, grab some cooked tofu, and the remaining noodle bowl ingredients and place them in seconds on top of the noodles.
3.   Garnish the noodle bowl with a teaspoon of sesame seeds, mint, cilantro, avocado and coconut chips on top of all the ingredients.
4.   Drizzle lightly with the mixed dressing (half Asian sesame and half cashew coconut dressing).

Asian Sesame Dressing Shelf Life: 1-2 weeks in fridge Cashew Coconut Thai Dressing Shelf Life: 5-7 days in fridge