Spinach With Sesame And Miso Food

MISO-SESAME DRESSING

Steps:

• In small bowl, whisk together the miso, water, sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, and salt. While whisking constantly, gradually add the peanut and sesame oils until you have a creamy dressing. Use now or store covered, in the refrigerator, for up to 3 days.

SPINACH WITH SESAME AND MISO

Steps:

• Heat a wok or frying pan and add the sesame seeds.
• Stir over medium-high heat until they are lightly toasted.
• Cool the seeds and crush them with a mortar and pestle or food blender.
• Mix with miso and sugar.
• Wash the spinach and drain well.
• Heat a wok or frying pan and add the oil.
• Stir-fry the spinach and drain well.
• Heat a wok or a frying pan and add the oil. Stir-fry the spinach just until it collapses.
• Remove from the wok; Stir in the miso and sesame paste into the spinach.
• Serve hot or cold.

SPINACH WITH SESAME MISO SAUCE

Steps:

• Wash spinach well. Gather spinach, root ends together, into 4 equal bunches and tie each bunch tightly around middle of stems with string. Blanch spinach, 2 bunches at a time, in a 6- to 8-quart pot of boiling salted water until just wilted, 15 to 30 seconds, then transfer with tongs to a large bowl of cold water to cool. Drain spinach and squeeze excess water from each bunch, squeezing well several times. Cut off string and cut spinach crosswise into 1-inch strips, including first inch of stems. Discard tough stem ends.
• Stir together sesame paste, miso, water, and soy sauce to form a smooth, thick sauce.
• Toss spinach with sauce and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

MISO-SESAME VINAIGRETTE THAT'S GOOD ON ANYTHING

Steps:

• Combine garlic, shallot, shoyu, vinegars, miso and sugar in a blender and blend on high speed until homogenous. (Alternatively, mash garlic and shallots in the bowl of a large granite or marble mortar and pestle into a fine paste using the pestle, then stir in the shoyu, vinegars, miso and sugar.)
• With the blender running on medium speed (the liquid should form a vortex but not jump up and splatter on the walls of the blender), slowly drizzle in the grapeseed oil. (If using a mortar and pestle, slowly drizzle in the oil as you stir vigorously with the pestle.)
• Transfer to a lidded jar. Stir in the sesame oil and sesame seeds with a spoon. Dressing can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks. Shake well before using.