Asian Broccoli Salad

Hi,

I made this broccoli salad on Saturday night when I had about a dozen people over. One of the guest commented that, "it's not anyone who can do raw brocolli" after seeing a seven year old take seconds on the broccoli salad.

The original recipe came from a Sunset pasta book. In its current form it's probably not recognizable from the original recipe which called for cooked chicken, spinach and no broccoli. The most recent change I made to the recipe was reducing the pasta, since we have been avoiding pasta, and adding eggplant instead. It's a bit more fussy to make the eggplant, but I think the balance is actually better. Hope you enjoy it as much as the seven year old did!

2 cups uncooked pasta (I like the kind that looks like flowers, but any kind will work.)

Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente, which means not mushy but still with a bit of firmness. When done, drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside.

1 regular eggplant, sliced length wise into 3/4 inch slices
4 Tablespoons Olive oil

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Pour about 2 tablespoons olive oil onto parchment paper. Dip the slices into the olive oil to cover bottom of the  eggplant and arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet. Drizzle with the additional olive oil. Salt and pepper. Bake in a 400 degree oven for about 20 minutes until slices start to brown, but aren't mushy. You can test by gently poking with your finger. While the eggplant bakes continue with recipe.

1/2 cup sesame seeds (If you can find these in an asian store they are cheaper than at the grocery store)
1/4 cup oil (I used coconut oil, although canola or olive oil would work too)

In a small frying pan, combine sesame seeds and oil and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until seeds are golden. Set aside to cool.

2/3 cup soy sauce
2/3 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Mix the above ingredients in a large bowl, add the cooled sesame seeds and oil. Add the drained pasta and mix. Check the eggplant. When lightly brown, remove from oven and cool. In the meantime prepare the brocolli.

4 or 5 large brocolli heads
1 cup parsley chopped

Cut the brocolli florets off with a bit of stem into larger bit sized pieces. I sometimes also peel and chop the stem bit. You should have about 8 cups of broccoli. Add the brocolli and parsley to the other ingredients. When the eggplant has cooled enough to handle, cut slices into 1 inch cubes and add to the bowl and mix

1 cup thinly sliced green onions

I like to sprinkle the green onions on top for a final touch. Wow, typing up the directions for this recipe make it seem like a lot of work. But, I think you'll find it delicious. It's great for a summer meal with chicken and watermelon. Let me know what you think?

Hugs and happy cooking,
Mameekosan