Zucchini Salad w/Spicy Wasabi

I’m finding that few people ever eat their vegetables raw.  Many perceive raw, uncooked produce as the stuff of salads, the stuff of calorie-inhibiting, bathing-suit season goals.  Raw vegetables are some unprocessed monster looking to make us keenly aware of all the carbs and sugars we’re depriving ourselves.

In a single phrase, uncooked vegetables are “diet food.”

But are they really diet food? Aren’t carrot sticks wonderful? Isn’t a fresh tomato better than a cooked one? And what about sweet red bell peppers? I’ll eat those raw over cooked any day.

To combat with the American-cook-everything-or-try-to-fry-it way, I suggest taking baby steps like with this simple but elegant zucchini salad with spicy wasabi.  Peel a washed zucchini into shreds, toss with a light vinaigrette of olive oil and lemon juice, season with salt and pepper, and garnish with spicy wasabi.  It has perhaps more flavor than any cooked variation of spicy zucchini I’ve ever seen.  The low-calorie bathing-suit benefits are just a lucky perk.

Zucchini Salad w/Spicy Wasabi

This recipe is my own adaptation of a classic stripped zucchini salad.  My asian-spin with spicy wasabi makes for an extra satisfying dish, but can be served without the wasabi in just a simple olive oil and lemon juice vinaigrette.

Ingredients:

* 1 zucchini, stems removed and peeled into as many slivers as the zucchini will yield

* Salt & pepper, to taste

* spicy wasabi horseradish cream sauce (like the one from Stonewall Kitchen), to garnish

* 1-2 tablespoons olive oil

* 1-2 tablespoons lemon juice

1.) Wash zucchini and remove stems.  Using a standard peeler, peel the zucchini into a large bowl (skin included).

2.) Toss zucchini slivers in olive oil, lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste.

3.) Plate zucchini salad in a stacked spiral and serve with Wasabi Horseradish Cream Sauce as a side and dip.  Enjoy! Makes 4 servings.

–Helana Brigman

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