CHINESE CRUDITES , Vegan, healthy

Oriental Crudites... 

first posted 2015; updated Mar 2023 

Healthy Raw Vegetables for Dipping 

This is a terrific recipe for using up salad drawer veg....and it doesn't contain lettuce or cucumbers.  Kids love helping with this so it's ideal for Mothers Day.

Asian chefs are masters at carving exquisite flowers and animals out of vegetables and fruit.  This recipe, a childhood favourite, is way out of that league but simple salad veg can be easily transformed into something a little bit special.

For best results, refrigerate overnight.   

There's nothing complicated; in fact, older children with knife skills could help with the slicing and carving.  A ruler or tape measure would be useful. 

There's a photo below of how to tackle the radish roses. 

Cost:£2'ish, depending on leftovers (3/23)

Serves: 4-6

Ingred:
    8 med radishes
    2 large carrrots
    4 stalks celery, peeled
    8 spring onions
    1/2 green or red pepper
    a good handful of cauliflower florets, large enough for dipping but small enough to be eaten raw

Method:

1. Fill a large bowl of water with ice cubes or very cold water
2. With a small sharp knife, trim radishes slicing a small piece off the top and bottom.  Pare down red skin into petals. Shape white centres to produce a rose-like shape. (See photo below) 
3. Peel carrots and cut into 2 inch/5 cm chunks.  Cut each chunk into 4 strips, and each strip into 4 matchsticks.  Drop into iced water
4. Cut celery stalks in 1.5 inch/4 cm chunks and each chunk into 4-5 sticks, large enough to dip.
5. Cut pepper into sticks about 2 inch/5 cm long and a centimetre wide.  Refrigerate in a plastic bag with cauliflower florets.
6. Spring onions: cut off the hairy bottom, in the thinnest slice possible, on the white of the spring onions.  Measuring from the bottom of the white bulbs, cut 2.5 inches/6 cm lengths. (There will be 8 of them.) At either end of the onion sticks, carefully make 4-5 vertical cuts about 1 in/2 cm long. Don't separate onion strips completely; the ends will look fringed. Add to the bowl of ice.
7. Leave the veg to soak in the fridge at least one hour; they should curl up prettily.
8. When ready to serve, drain, add peppers and cauliflower.
9. Serve with the budget-friendly Yoghurt-Mayo Dip or Chive and Onion Dip or Aubergine Dip in 67goingon50 Salad Dressings.
10. If you are making this recipe for snacks, do not refrigerate more than 2 days; change the water on the 2nd day .  

Radish Roses
Pare red skins into petals then shape inner core

  

Please leave a Comment in the box below

    .

This recipe has  been developed by B M Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises.  It may not be reproduced without the author's written permission