Potsticker Salad with Sesame Miso Dressing

This is a departure from my usual theme of books, but I like to cook.  This is only because I like to eat.  My favorite foods are maguro (tuna sashimi), filet mignon, broccoli, crème brulee, shrimp, and ice cream.  I’m sure there are others, but those make the short list.  My favorite type of cuisine is Chinese.  I live in a state that doesn’t have much authentic or delicious Chinese food, so when I was newly married, I took to learning how to make my own.  This came in handy when my oldest daughter was diagnosed with milk and egg allergies at age two.  Chinese food contains no milk, and eggs can always be removed from fried rice (which is disgusting, by the way).

Anyway, over the years I have experimented with recipes.  Each time I plop a dish on the table and declare that I came up with it myself, my husband is skeptical.  And, he should be.  I never really create my own dishes, but I instead modify them from other recipes.  Here is the best recipe I have come up with as a variation:  Potsticker Salad.

The recipe is simple and healthy.  Here’s what you need.

1 ½ c cooked sticky rice

12 potstickers, cooked (I use the frozen kind from Costco and cook according to package directions, but if you want to get all Chan Can Cook on me, go ahead and make your own.)

¼ head of red cabbage, chopped

1 c matchstick carrots

1 package arugula

Angelo Pietro Sesame Miso dressing to taste (I buy this on Amazon, as my stores don’t carry it.  It is completely worth the money!)

Side of potsticker soy sauce dip from frozen package

Cook the rice, then top with cooked potstickers, arugula, carrots, red cabbage, and sesame miso dressing.  Use soy sauce dip as needed.

This is my favorite salad dressing.  It is good on everything, but like I said I can’t find it in my local grocery store.  My dad used to send it to me from San Jose, California, but I have since taken to ordering it online.  And surprise, it comes wrapped in the San Jose Mercury News!  It is expensive, around $6.95 a bottle, but to me it is worth the cost.

I adapted this recipe from Real Simple, in which they used sugar snap peas and no rice, and no scrumptious Angelo Pietro dressing.  I guess this IS my recipe.  Obviously, any fresh, in-season vegetables would create a delicious variation of my salad.  Enjoy!