According to
the recipe notes, Chinese sesame paste uses toasted
sesame seeds, while tahini uses untoasted
sesame seeds, so the Chinese sesame paste is recommended for a more intense
flavor. I’ve never seen Chinese sesame paste, but I checked my jar of tahini
and the ingredients were “Toasted Sesame Seeds”. There are many varieties of
tahini available, so check the label to make sure you get what you are looking
for.
I was not able
to find any Chinese black vinegar, but found out that balsamic or brown rice
vinegar are considered adequate substitutions. Since the recipe only called for
one tablespoon of vinegar, I was comfortable substituting with high quality balsamic.
The noodles,
asparagus, sauce, and sautéed veggies are tossed together, sprinkled with
toasted sesame seeds, and served warm. I enjoyed this dish very much, and can
imagine myself making it quite often when I need to put together a quick and
delicious meal – especially when fresh asparagus is abundant!
There are two
places oil is used in this recipe. First, the cooked noodles and asparagus are
supposed to be tossed in one tablespoon of sesame oil. Instead of that, I just
rinsed the cooked noodles thoroughly to remove the starch, and set them aside
until ready to use. Next, you are asked to use two tablespoons of canola oil to
sauté the onion and ginger. I just used a little water instead. By not using
these three tablespoons of oil, I omitted 42 grams of fat and 371 calories from
the dish.
Fun fact - some
of the recipes in this book use an ingredient in three different forms. For instance,
this recipe uses sesame three ways – tahini, sesame oil, and sesame seeds. While
I opted out of using the sesame oil, it still delighted me to see this trend in
yet another recipe, a fun theme I enjoy looking for.
Keeping it
“McDougall Friendly” checklist:
- Do not add sesame oil to
the cooked noodles and asparagus. Instead, just rinse the noodles thoroughly
to remove the starch so they won’t stick together.
- Omit the canola oil when
sautéing the veggies. Instead, use a nonstick pan and a little broth or
sherry.
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