♥︎Smashed Asian cucumber salad

For ➍ 

2 seedless cucumbers (about 600 g) 

1 ts salt 

2½ ts sugar 

2 ts sesame oil 

3 ts light soy sauce 

1½ tbs rice vinegar 

2-4 cloves of garlic (finely chopped) 

1-2 ts chili oil (optional)* 

2 ts toasted sesame seeds 

a small handful of chopped coriander 

Wash the cucumbers and pat them dry with a clean towel. 

Make the salad dressing by combining the salt, sugar, sesame oil, light soy sauce, and rice vinegar. Stir until the sugar and salt are completely dissolved. Set aside. 

On a cutting board, lay a large knife flat against the cucumber, and smash it lightly with your other hand. The cucumber should crack open and smash into four sections. Repeat along its full length. Once the whole cucumber is completely open (usually into 4 long sectional pieces), cut it at a 45-degree angle into bite-sized pieces. 

In a large bowl, mix the cut cucumber with the prepared dressing, garlic and chili oil. Toss it well. 

Serve, garnished with sesame seeds and coriander. 

*If you prefer to omit the chili oil, heat up 1 tbs of oil in a pan and drizzle it over the cucumber. 

Salmon poke tower

For /➊➋➌➍➎➏➐➑➒➓/
raw salmon in pieces, marinated with soy sauce & sriracha mayo
pieces of avocado
seaweed salad
cooked edamame
sliced spring onion
mix of sesame & poppy seeds

Place the ingredients in the ring. Press each layer well. Create a layer with
rice,
cucumber,
marinated salmon,
avocado,
seaweed salad,
edamame beans,
spring onion.
Squeeze a strand of sirarcha mayo over the ingredients.
Sprinkle with mix of sesame and poppy seeds.
Serve.

Snow peas with wasabi dressing & furikake

For ➍

wasabi dressing:

25 g wasabi paste

¾ tbs maple syrup

1½ tbs lemon juice

60 ml olive oil

salt

snow peas:

500 g snow peas

1 tbs vegetable oil

furikake:

2 tbs sesame seeds, toasted

1½ tbs nori flakes

½ tbs coriander seeds, toasted and lightly crushed

1 ts sea salt flakes

Heat a grill pan.

Mix all the ingredients for the furikake in a small bowl and set aside.

Take a bowl in which all the snow peas will fit. First mix in the ingredients for the wasabi dressing, with ½ ts salt. Set aside.

In another large bowl, mix the snow peas with 1tbs of oil until coated on all sides. Then grill them in 3 portions, each about 4 m long. Turn halfway through so they get spots on both sides.

Slide the grilled snow peas into the bowl with the dressing. Toss to spread the dressing, arrange on a platter and pour over the remaining dressing. Sprinkle half of the furikake over the peas and serve the rest in a small bowl.

Furikake is a seasoning that is popular in Japan as a topping for rice, vegetables and fish. The taste is savory and salty, with typical ingredients: dried fish, seaweed flakes, sesame seeds, sugar, salt and glutamate. Furikake is also often used on poké bowls. You can buy it in Asian supermarket or online spice shops.

Stir-fry vegetables & peanut sauce

For ➍
2 tbs white sesame seeds
1 clove garlic
½ lime
3 tbs sunflower oil
100 g peanut butter
20 cl coconut milk
2 tbs soy sauce
1 tbs ginger syrup
400 g chicken fillet, cubed
1 red pepper
800 g Japanese wok vegetables like chestnut mushrooms & pods

Heat a frying pan without oil or butter and roast the sesame seedsgolden brown in 1 m . Let cool on a plate.
Finely chop the garlic. Squeeze half the lime. Heat half of the oil in a thick-bottomed saucepan and fry the garlic 2 m. Add the peanut butter and coconut milk and heat, stirring, just below the boiling point. Stir in the soy sauce, ginger syrup and lime juice and keep stirring until the sauce thickens.
Meanwhile, heat the rest of the oil in a wok and fry the chicken fillet cubes for 2 m over high heat. Cut the red pepper in half lengthwise and remove the seeds. Finely chop the meat. Add the wok vegetables and the red pepper to the chicken and stir-fry for 5 m. Season with pepper and possibly salt.
Spread on deep plates, sprinkle with the sesame seeds and serve with the peanut sauce.

Shika tataki (deer tataki with vegetables)

For ➍
600 g deer (or hind) fillet
200 g fine green beans
200 g pod peas
2 carrots
2 lemons juice
ginger 3 cm
½ red pepper
4 tbs sesame seeds
1 dl soy sauce
1 dl rice vinegar
1 tbs raw cane sugar
2 tbs olive oil
salt & pepper

Cut the ends of the beans and pod peas. Blanch  them (and eventually the carrots) for 3-6 m in a large pot of salted boiling water. Drain and scare into ice water so they retain their green color. Peel the carrots and cut into long pieces of 1 cm wide. Then cut them into thin strands with the peeler. (Raw, not when blanched).
Prepare the sauce. Peel, grate and squeeze the ginger. Mix the ginger with the lemon juice, soy sauce, rice vinegar and raw cane sugar.
Put a pan on the fire with olive oil and heat it.
Season the deer fillet with salt and pepper. Crust the meat 1 m on each side. Deglaze with the sauce, let cook for ± 4 m. Turn the meat regularly so that the flavour of the sauce is well absorbed. Bake the meat nice rosé (about 8 m for 400 g).  
Remove the meat from the pan, wrap in a sheet of aluminum foil and let rest for 5 m.
Let the sauce boil until slightly syrupy.
Sprinkle your work surface with sesame seeds. Roll the meat in it to get a crispy sesame crust. Cut the meat into very thin slices.
Divide the beans and pod peas pod on 4 plates. Arrange the thin slices of doe and cover again with the sauce. Finish with the rolled carrot slivers and bring to taste with finely chopped red pepper.
Serve with cooked glass noodles.

Soy salmon & lime tacos

For ➍
4 salmon fillets
3 tbs soy sauce
2 tbs sunflower oil
2 tbs sesame seeds
juice ½ lime
salt & pepper
pinch of garlic salt
easy guacamole:
2 avocados
½ lime
½ lemon
salt & pepper
fresh chilli (optional)
mango & watermelon salsa:
1 mango
¼ small watermelon
¼ red onion
few sprigs of parsley leaves
1 ts honey
garnish:
3 tbs pomegranate seeds
5 tbs sour cream & chives dip
2 radishes
3 tbs dried crispy onions

Place the salmon on a baking tray lined with foil or baking paper and pour over a few glugs of sunflower oil, 2 tbs of soy sauce, a handful of sesame seeds, garlic salt, pepper and a squeeze of half a lime. Making sure both sides are coated with the sauce, bake skin-side down for 20 m until the flakes come away with a fork easily.
Whilst the salmon cooks in the oven, prepare your accompanying ingredients.
-(Guacamole) Halve and stone 2 avocados and use a spoon to scoop out the flesh into a bowl. Mash with a pinch of salt, pepper, a squeeze of lemon and lime and some chilli, if desired.
-(Salsa) Finely dice parsley, mango, watermelon and red onion for the salsa. Squeeze some lime and a tiny drizzle of honey and mix well.
Place small soft flour tortillas on a dry hot pan for 30 s to warm through.
Assemble salmon taco with guacamole and pomegranate seeds: spread guacamole over the base of the taco spoon over some of the salsa and add some salmon flakes on top. To garnish sprinkle some pomegranate seeds and some chopped parsley.
Assemble salmon taco with sour cream and chives: start with sour cream and chives spread over the taco base, spoon over the salsa and layer salmon flakes. Add thinly sliced radishes and garnish with some chopped parsley.
Serve with corn on the cob cut up into pieces, and quartered fresh limes.

Halloumi saganaki

For ➍-➑
2-3 tbs olive oil
225 g block halloumi or kefalotiri cheese
1 small free-range egg, beaten
3 tbs fine semolina
2 tbs clear honey
1 ts black sesame seeds
1 ts dried oregano
freshly ground black pepper

Heat the olive oil in a non-stick frying pan.
Cut the halloumi horizontally through the middle. Dip the halloumi slices in the beaten egg then roll in the semolina. Fry on a medium heat for a couple of m on each side until golden-brown.
In a separate small pan, warm the honey. Serve the halloumi cut into squares, drizzled with warm honey and sprinkled with sesame seeds, oregano and black pepper.
Serve as a special mezze.

Niwatori shijutsu wa sarada (Japanese cucumber & chicken salad)

For ➍
2 cucumbers, julienned
2 chicken breasts
2-3 slices fresh ginger root
1 tbs sake*
½ ts salt
dressing:
4 tbs ground white sesame seeds
2 ts rice vinegar**
2 ts sugar***
2 ts soy sauce
1 tbs mayonnaise

Place cucumber strips in a bowl. Sprinkle ½ ts of salt over them. Lightly knead by hands. Set aside for a few m. Squeeze cucumber to remove the liquid.
Boil water in a medium pan. Add ginger, sake, and salt in the pan. Boil chicken breasts until cooked.
Drain chicken breasts.**** Tear into thin strips.
Mix all the ingredients for dressing in a bowl.
Put chicken and cucumber in the bowl and mix well.
Serve chilled.

*Use dry sherry.
**Use white balsamico.
***Use mirin.
****Or: put chicken in an open parcel. Add sake, salt and ginger slices. Marinate for 30 m. Add a few drops of oil. Close the parcel to a paillotte . Cook in the 180°C preheated oven for 20-25 m. Or use a microwave, cooking times depending on weight(about 2 m / 100 g).

Teriyaki salmon rice bowl with spinach & avocado

For ➍
500 g salmon fillet cut into 4 thin portions (skin on is ok)
teriyaki sauce
1 square sheet of nori, cut with a scissors into 2.5 cm strips, then stack the strips & cut crosswise into 2.5 by 0.5 cm confetti*
2 tbs of black or/& white sesame seeds
400 g sushi rice
16 cl homemade seasoned rice vinegar  or bought seasoned rice vinegar
500 g fresh spinach, washed
1 tbs Asian sesame oil
salt
1 bunch scallions, washed, trimmed, & sliced crosswise
1 avocado, peeled, pitted & sliced

Make the teriyaki sauce.
Toast nori and sesame seeds in a hot skillet for 2 m, stirring and tossing constantly just until sesame seeds start to get a little brown. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
Make the sushi rice. Rinse rice several times to remove excess starchy powder: put rice into a large bowl and cover by an inch with water. Swish rice around with your hands. Pour off cloudy water. Repeat 2 or 3 times more. Drain in a fine mesh colander. Cook rice per package directions. (about 60 cl  water per 400 g rice and a 15 m simmer, covered) Remove rice from heat and let it sit, covered, for 10 m.
While rice is cooking, make seasoned rice vinegar. 
Transfer rice to a large nonmetallic bowl. Slowly pour 16 cl of seasoned rice vinegar over the rice, while tossing and mixing it. Cover bowl with a cloth and set aside.
Cook the spinach: Heat 1 tbs sesame oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add spinach and 2 tbs water to the pan. Cover pan and leave it for 2 m. Uncover and stir. Spinach will be mostly wilted. Cook, stirring for about 1 m more until it is completely wilted. Sprinkle with a pinch or two of salt. Remove from heat.
Cook the salmon**: Preheat oven to broil and set the rack 20 cm from the top. Place salmon skin-side down on a foil-lined jellyroll pan. Pour 6 cl of teriyaki sauce into a separate small bowl to use for glazing the salmon. Brush salmon with teriyaki sauce and cook for 2 m under the broiler. Pull salmon out of the oven and brush more teriyaki sauce on top. Return to the oven and cook for 1-3 m more, to your desired doneness. Better to undercook it slightly as it will continue to cook a bit even after it's out of the oven. Remove from oven.
Assemble rice bowls: Put rice and spinach in the bottom of a bowl. Lay salmon on top. (skin will peel off easily, if you prefer it skinless) Garnish with avocado slices. Sprinkle with scallions and nori-sesame confetti. Drizzle with teriyaki sauce. Repeat for each bowl.

*Use dried seaweed instead.  Let stand for 5 m in a bowl of water. Discard the water.
**Alternatively, cook the salmon in a frying pan, as they would in Japan. Replace teriyaki with this seasoning mix.
2 fillets salmon with skin (2 fillets =  340 g) (1 to 1.8 cm thickness, skin will hold the flesh together while cooking); ¼ ts salt; freshly ground black pepper; 1 tbs all-purpose flour; ½ tbs neutral flavor oil (vegetable, canola, etc); 1 tbs unsalted butter; 1 tbs sake
Seasonings: 1 tbs sake (or Chinese rice wine or dry sherry); 1 tbs mirin (or 1 tbs sake + 1 ts sugar); 1 tbs granulated sugar; 2 tbs soy sauce
Combine the ingredients for seasonings and mix well until the sugar is mostly dissolved (or you can microwave for seconds). Rinse the salmon and pat dry. Season the salmon with kosher salt and black pepper on both sides.
Sprinkle ½ tbs of all-purpose flour on one side of salmon and spread evenly. Flip over and sprinkle the rest of flour on the other side. Gently remove the excess flour.
In a frying pan, add the vegetable oil and melt the butter over medium heat. Don’t burn the butter. If the frying pan gets too hot, reduce heat or remove from the heat temporally.
Add the salmon fillets, skin side on the bottom (this will be top when you serve). Cook the salmon for 3 m, or until the bottom side is nicely browned.
Add sake and cover with lid. Steam the salmon for 3 m, or until it's cooked through. Remove the salmon to a plate.
Add the seasonings to the pan and increase the heat little bit. When the sauce starts to boil, add salmon back in the pan and spoon the sauce over the salmon.
When the sauce thickens, turn off the heat. Plate the salmon on a plate and serve immediately.
http://www.justonecookbook.com/teriyaki-salmon-recipe/
***Make the teriyaki sauce and toast the sesame seeds and nori in advance. Keeps in airtight containers in the fridge for a week or so. The rice is best made fresh.
This is a very adaptable recipe. Eat it hot, cold or at room temperature. Try it with different vegetables like sautéed snow peas, sugar snap peas or asparagus (cut on the diagonal into bite-sized pieces). Use tofu or chicken instead of salmon.

Japanese raw salmon & avocado rice

For ➍
300 g sushi rice
350 g skinless salmon fillet
2 small, ripe avocados, sliced
juice 1 lemon
4 ts light soy sauce
4 ts toasted sesame seeds
2 spring onions / scallions, thinly sliced
1 red chilli, deseeded & thinly sliced
small handful coriander leaves
salt

Rinse the rice in a sieve until the water runs clear. Drain and put in a large pan with 4 dl water. Bring to the boil, turn the heat to low, cover, then cook for 10-12 m until the rice is almost cooked. Remove from the heat, then leave, covered, for another 10 m.
Thinly slice the salmon and arrange on a platter with the sliced avocado. Drizzle over the lemon juice and soy, making sure everything is evenly covered. Leave in the fridge to marinate for 10 m.
Carefully tip the juices from the salmon platter into the rice, then stir in with a little salt. Divide the rice between 4 bowls.
Scatter the sesame seeds, spring onions, chilli and coriander over the salmon and avocado, then serve with the rice.

A sushi like combination without the rolling.

Ginger salmon

For ➋
250 g daikon radish
15 g (½ tbs) ginger, grated
1 tbs rice vinegar
1 tbs soy sauce
2 ts sugar
¼ ts salt
450 g salmon
1 tbs potato starch
½ tbs toasted sesame seeds
sprouts, for garnish

Grate the daikon into a fine mesh sieve, pressing on the grated daikon to squeeze out as much liquid as you can. Set the daikon aside.
To make the dressing, whisk together the ginger, rice vinegar, soy sauce, sugar and salt.
Bring a pot a pot filled with about 3 quarts of water to a boil. Prepare a bowl of ice water.
Remove the skin and any bones from the salmon and cut into bite-size pieces.
Put the salmon in a tray in a single layer and then add half the potato starch into a small fine mesh sieve (such as a tea strainer). Tap to dust the salmon evenly with potato starch. Flip the salmon over and repeat with the remaining starch.
When the water comes to a boil, add the salmon all at once and then give it a quick stir. Boil for 20 s and then turn off the heat. Let the salmon poach for about 2 m or until it flakes easily.
Transfer the salmon to the ice water using a slotted spoon and chill.
When the salmon has chilled transfer the salmon to a wire rack lined with a few sheets of paper towels.
Add the salmon to the dressing along with the sesame seeds. Toss to coat evenly.
Plate the salmon and then add the grated daikon to the remaining dressing in the bowl and stir to evenly combine. Mound the seasoned daikon atop the salmon and then garnish with chopped scallions or fresh sprouts, like broccoli sprouts, and some extra toasted sesame seeds.

Steamed fish with ginger & scallions

For ➋-➍
600-800 g fish [porgy, black sea bass, Boston mackerel, or trout], scaled & gutted*
5-6 scallions, divided
4 cm knob ginger**
[optional alternatives: coriander or chilli]**
salt & pepper, for seasoning
1 ts Shaoxing wine or sherry
1 lime, juice & zest, divided
3 tbs soy sauce
1 tbs fine mild red wine vinegar
1 tbs sesame seeds
4 tbs sesame oil
[optional green: sautéed pak choi]
[optional aromatics for steaming water:
star anise
knob of ginger, roughly sliced
Szechuan peppercorn
scallions or green garlic]

Rinse the fish with cold water inside and out and pat dry. Score a couple of gashes in the flesh on either side of the fish.
Slice 4 of the scallions and the knob ginger into a fine julienne and set aside. Save the scraps for stuffing the fish belly. Season the fish belly with salt and pepper and the ts of wine or sherry.
Stuff the fish with the scallion and ginger scraps and the lime zest.
Take a large stock pot and put about 8 cm of water in it and bring to a boil.
Inside the pot, place an inverted cake pan or some other such thing so that you can rest a large plate with the fish on it inside the pot and out of direct contact with the water. (The fish will be on a plate that is resting on another object that is in direct contact with the bottom of the pot.)
Chop the final scallion into 3 pieces and rest it on the plate. Season the fish with salt and pepper on the outside with and place the fish on the plate.
Place the plate on the object in the pot, cover the pot, and steam over high heat for 10 to 12 m (more for a larger fish), until done.
While the fish is steaming, mix the soy sauce with the vinegar and lime juice.
Remove the fish carefully and place on a serving plate. Place the julienned ginger and scallions across the top of the fish and sprinkle with the sesame seeds.
Heat the sesame oil in a small pan until just before smoking, then pour over the fish.
Finally, pour the soy sauce mixture onto the plate and serve. This fish is also quite tasty still served at room temperature.
Serve with rice or some sautéed greens like pak choi.

*This can be made with fish filets, but fish in the bone comes out much more moist and flavorful, as well as being a beautiful presentation.
**Add coriander or chilli to the ginger, or make a mix.

Noodles with marinated salmon @ wok in orange sauce

For ➍
200 g soba or rice noodles
½ broccoli in florets
100 g green asparagus
1 handful mangetout
400 g salmon, skinless
20 cl fresh orange juice
2 ts fish sauce
2 ts soy sauce
½ tbs sesame seeds (optional)
1 cm ginger, grated
½ chilli, deseeded, cut into rings
2 tbs sesame oil
2 cloves garlic
1 scallion, cut into strips
fresh coriander

Cook the noodles according to the directions on the package.
Make the marinade: put ginger, garlic, orange juice, soy sauce, fish sauce, sesame oil, sesame seeds and chilli in a bowl and mix.
Cut the salmon into chunks and mix among the marinade. Let marinate for 10 m. Set aside.
Bake the salmon pieces (without the marinade) in a wok for 3-4 m. Remove the salmon from the pan and keep aside.
Pour the remaining marinade into the wok and boil for 1 m.
Add the broccoli, mangetout and asparagus. Cook for 5 m until al dente.
Mix the noodles in the marinade.
Serve the noodles with the sauce. Put some salmon chunks on top. Add some spring onions, coriander or seaweed.

Shiitakes with lime & soy sauce

For ➍
100 g shiitakes, shredded or sliced
1 lime (juice & scrubbed peel, shredded)
2 cl soy sauce
10 g sesame seeds
4 toasts

Sauté the shiitakes in a little bit of butter for 4-5 m.*
When ready, add the lime juice and the shredded peel. Add soy sauce and sesame seeds.
Serve with fresh toast.

*Or you can brush them with olive oil and grill them for 5-10 m.

Broccoli @ wok

For ➍
600 g broccoli
1 onion
1 clove garlic
1 tbs olive oil
1 tbs freshly grated ginger
20 cl (vegetable or chicken) stock
2 tbs soy sauce
2 tbs rice vinegar or sherry vinegar
1 ts caster sugar
1 tbs sesame seeds

Clean the broccoli. Cut the stalks into small pieces and keep the florets. Peel the onion and cut into thin rings. Peel and chop the garlic. Grate the ginger.
In a wok, heat some olive oil. Add the garlic, onion and ginger. Stir for 30 s.*
Add the stalks of broccoli. Cook on high heat for 3 m.
Add the broccoli florets and cook for another 2 m.
Add the stock, soy sauce and vinegar. Adjust with salt and sugar. Cook 5 m to cook while stirring.
Put the contents  on a hot dish. Put the sesame seeds in the wok and let them yarn  for a few s and stir well.
Add the seeds to the broccoli and serve immediately. [Serve with ginger noodles.]

*Read tip on using ginger/ garlic in wok.

Sea lettuce & glass noodles

For ➍
200 g sea lettuce (or wakame or seaweed)
2 tbs sesame oil
2 tbs sushi vinegar
2 tbs mirin
1 chopped red chili pepper
4 tbs roasted white sesame seeds
100 g Japanese thin glass noodles
black pepper

Rinse the salt from the sea vegetable and drain well. Mix sesame oil, sushi vinegar, mirin, chili and half of the fried sesame seeds.

Cook the noodles al dente, drain and cool in ice water. Drain well.

Mix the sea vegetables, the dressing and the noodles.

Sprinkle with freshly milled pepper and the remaining sesame seeds. Serve cooled.

Ulva ('sea lettuce') is a very thin seaweed variety, coming as large green leaves, resembling lettuce. It can be eaten raw in salads, or cooked in soups and other dishes.

Japanese cabbage salad

For ➍
1 tbs sesame oil
1 tbs rice vinegar
⅓ clove garlic, minced*
⅓ ts grated fresh ginger root*
⅓ tbs white sugar*
⅓ ts salt
⅓ ts black pepper
¼ large white cabbage, cored & shredded**
4-5 green onions, thinly sliced
30 g almond slivers
10 g toasted sesame seeds

Whisk together sesame oil, vinegar, garlic, ginger, sugar, salt, and pepper in a small bowl until the sugar has dissolved.

Toss the cabbage, green onions, almonds, and sesame seeds in a large bowl with the dressing until well coated.

Serve with ginger pork for instance.

*Optional
**Put the cabbage in the refrigerator to make it crisp for cutting. Use Chinese cabbage, paksoy or rucola instead.

Crab & avocado & Japanese style dressing

For ➍
1 long red chili, seeded & finely chopped
200 g cooked crab meat
1 ts lime juice, plus extra for squeezing
150 g rocket salad
1 ripe avocado, stone removed
1-2 ts chopped fresh chives
dressing:
2 tbs mirin*
½ ts wasabi paste**
1 tbs rice vinegar
4 drops sesame oil
½ ts sea salt or ¼ ts table salt

In a bowl, whisk together the mirin, wasabi, rice vinegar, sesame oil and salt to make a dressing.
Set aside 4 ts of the dressing to another bowl large enough to fit the salad in later.
To the first amount of dressing, add the finely chopped chili. Then add the crab meat. Mix thoroughly with a fork.
To the small amount of dressing in the other bowl, add the lime juice, salad leaves and stir well to mix.
Arrange salad on 4 plates.
Spoon a quarter of the crab mixture into a ramekin, pressing down to fit it all in, then turn out onto one of the four plates. Repeat with the remaining crab meat for the other 3 plates.
Using a ts, scoop out curls of avocado and dot around on top of the salad on the plates. Squeeze over a little lime juice. Sprinkle the chopped chives over the mounds of crab.
Serve with a small mound of rice, if necessary.

*Use sherry instead.
**Wasabi is close to horseradish which might be used instead.

A more genuine Japanese recipe for a starter with crab is Japanese leeks with crab.

Chilled soba noodles salad

For ➍
400 g cooked soba noodles
2 ts toasted sesame oil
100 g watercress
100 g red beet leaves or rocket lettuce
4 spring onions, finely chopped
1 tbs toasted sesame seeds
1 sheet nori (dried seaweed), finely shredded
20 cl dashi-shoyu*
2 ts wasabi paste

Rinse the noodles under cold water and sprinkle with sesame oil. Toss well and set aside to drain.

To make the dressing, mix together the soy dashi and the wasabi paste. Put the noodles and the salad leaves in a large mixing bowl and toss to mix. Divide the noodle salad among 4 plates. Drizzle the dressing over the salad, garnish with the chopped spring onions, sesame seeds and shredded nori.

Serve immediately.

*Dashi-shoyu is a soy sauce variance on dashi, the Japanese seaweed broth. Read a recipe or buy ready made.

Soba noodles, made of buckwheat, become very popular in Japan when the heat is high.
Most Japanese noodles, including soba, are rinsed rather vigorously in cold running water. This not only cools them down but gets rid of excess starch, which adversely affects the flavor of the noodles.
Try a similar salad idea with ramen noodles.

Jalik (Arabian cucumber soup)

For ➋
2 cucumbers
½ ts salt
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tbs lemon juice
20 cl yogurt
½ tbs finely chopped dill
10 cl sesame or olive oil
2 ts chopped mint

Peel the cucumbers, cut in quarters lengthwise, scoop out the seeds, then slice thin. Sprinkle with the salt and let stand for 15 m. Drain well.

Stir together the garlic, lemon juice, yogurt, and dill. Mix with the cucumbers.

Pour the oil over the top and sprinkle with the mint.

This is adapted from the Arabian jalik soup. Similar recipes are known all over the Middle East and as 'tzaziki' in Greece. It is called 'maast-o-khiar' in Iran.
Read the maast-o-khiar recipe, or make a version with other amounts of the ingredients above: drain the yogurt in cheese-cloth in a colander for 1 h, mix with some mint, use 1 cucumber, to make a dip sauce for pita bread or serve it as a cold salad, on its own or with cold lamb chops.
Read more cucumber soup recipes: cold cucumber soup with crab, Spanish white gazpacho.