shaved fennel & brussels sprouts salad {i finally got a mandoline}!
oh the possibilities! i've been thinking about getting a mandoline for a while now (love the way it shaves vegetables almost paper thin), but i seem to have a mental block about adding gadgets to my kitchen-they create clutter, confuse things, and need to be cleaned! having said that, my lovely sister bought me a simple and easy to use mandoline (thank you) that shaved two heads of fennel and 10 brussels sprouts into a beautiful salad for me in a matter of minutes. this gadget is a keeper. so is the salad recipe, by the way. i made the mistake of dressing it with my ginger-soy dressing (recipe to follow), but it is really much better (as in a must) with a lemon-parmesan dressing which allows the delicate flavor of the fennel to shine through. when using the ginger soy dressing i would substitute the fennel with napa cabbage (no need to use the mandoline) and add sesame seeds and sliced toasted almonds for a delicious asian style salad.
for 4-6 servings:
- 2 large fennel bulbs, shaved (or thinly sliced)
- 8-10 brussels sprouts, shaved (or thinly sliced)
- 2-3 mandarin oranges (clementines), peeled, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup sliced toasted almonds (optional)
*keep the tender greens from the fennel for garnish
for lemon-parmesan dressing:
- juice of 1 lemon (3-4 tbs)
- 2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
- 1-2 tbs good quality grated parmesan cheese
- sea salt & pepper to taste
ginger-soy dressing (for napa cabbage & brussels sprouts salad)
- 1 tsp freshly grated ginger root (use microplane grater)
- 2-3 tbs soy sauce
- 1-2 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 2 tsp rice vinegar
- 1 tsp sesame seeds
- a squeeze of fresh lemon juice
- whisk together
(substitute fennel with napa cabbage, add sliced toasted almonds)