I know… I know, weird combo!

I’m sorry, I just can’t help it. I love coming up with very strange, odd and different food combinations, sometimes. I like to think outside the box, you see?

Or sometimes, it’s just that I look at all the leftovers from other “projects” and I try and think of ways to make them fit together. Hey, I hate wasting food, remember? Gotta use it up, somehow! 😉

That’s when you take a little bit of this, and a little bit of that and add it to a bunch of these and see what it says.

What’s pretty amazing is that, more often then not, my super strange combos really work!

This salad here was no exception. I think I’d even go as far as saying that it’s probably one of my strangest combinations, so far, but it was truly delicious!

So fresh, so intensely flavorful, and loaded with so many textures. It really was quite a sensory experience!  I mean, you get spicy, sweet, tangy, peppery, salty, nutty, crunchy, creamy, juicy and crispy, all that in every bite!

And alright, sorry, I’m sure you’ve all noticed: I cooked with oranges again… PLUS the resulting dish has a bit of an Asian twist to it, too…

You surprised?

I thought not!

I promise that I’m almost done with this oranges / Asian kick.  Almost…

However… I don’t mean to alarm you, but I am planning on buying  a brand new case of Navel oranges tomorrow, so there is a slight chance that I MIGHT come up with another recipe or two featuring oranges.

But no more than two, I swear.

I’m thinking orange, goat cheese, pistachio, wild rice…

Hmmmm… OK, maybe three…  😉


ORANGE, STRAWBERRY AND NAVY BEAN SALAD

INGREDIENTS
(Serves 1)

Salad

  • 1 large navel orange
  •  5-6 large strawberries, chopped
  • 1 cup Navy beans, cooked and cooled (you could also use canned)
  • 2 green onions, sliced
  • 1 tbsp (25g) fresh ginger, grated
  • 10-12 leaves each fresh sweet basil and mint, coarsely chopped
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ¼ tsp black pepper
  • 1 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 1 tbsp mirin
  • 3 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
  • 3-4 baby bok choy, shredded
INSTRUCTIONS 
  1. This couldn’t be easier. Start by peeling your orange with a knife, then cut it into slices and cut each slice into 4 pieces.
  2. Add that to a large mixing bowl, followed by the rest of the ingredients, save for the bok choy.
  3. Mix everything together until well blended.
  4. Arrange bok choy at the bottom of a serving plate or bowl, mound your salad over this bed of bokchoy.
  5. Sprinkle with more sesame seeds, if desired. (I used a mix of black and white)